The Spec-Ops Team 2
by BrenRome
Summary: A few months after the fall of S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent Arthur Williams attempts to help Director Phil Coulson rebuild while maintaining his team. But threats are about to arrive which will test him and his team. (Sequel to my first AoS OC Story. SYOC is Open. Please read guidelines. I own NOTHING but my OC's. This is for FAN-Purposes only, so PLEASE don't sue!)
1. Chapter 1

_**Hi, Everyone! Welcome to my new SYOC Story of the Spec-Ops Team 2. Here is the template for submitting your OC Characters:**_

 **Name:**

 **Age:**

 **Appearance:**

 **Personality:**

 **Skills:**

 **Weaknesses:**

 **History:**

 **Family (Living, Dead, and/or Missing):**

 **Powers (If Any. If you choose to have an Inhuman, please be specific with powers and no versions of powers we've already seen!):**

 **Rank (If Applicable):**

 **Position (What they do for whatever group they're in):**

 **Allegiance (Loyal to either Coulson's S.H.I.E.L.D., Gonzalez's S.H.I.E.L.D., HYDRA, Inhuman, Independent or to another character) (NOTE: JUST NO MARY-SUE-TYPE-STUFF, OKAY?):**

 **Other Things Worth Noting:**

 _ **Here is a list of characters that debuted in the last story and where they are now:**_

Agent Arthur Williams (Team Leader and new 'Good Eye' to Director Phil Coulson.) (Created by Me)

Agent Katie Sheila (Team Co-Leader.) (Created by Me)

Agent Bruce Gordon (Team Mechanic) (Created by NN010)

Agent Sabrina Washionton (Team Biologist) (Created by AwesomeGirl)

Agent Jessica Smith (Team Pilot) (Created by SweetPeaKalya)

Agent Faye Anne-Carter (Extra Team Field Agent) (Created by AOSISMYLIFE)

Agent Tabatha Jennings (Team Monitor) (Created by Me)

Agent Abby Catheline (Extra Team Field Agent) (Created by Me)

Tyler Boateng (Former S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent/HYDRA Spy. Currently under arrest and detainment at S.H.I.E.L.D.'s 'Playground Base' alongside fellow HYDRA Conspirator, Grant Ward.) (Created by scrawlx1012)

 _ **So there you go. Feel free to send in any character submissions, and I will begin working them into this story! Hope to see what you all think about how this goes!**_


	2. Reconstruction

**Hi, everyone! Well, here we are! The First Chapter of the Spec-Ops Team 2. Sorry this took so long for me to get out, but I've begun working for the summer and I'll be working all the way through until December. But I hope to get more of these stories out quick and sooner, but I'll be sure to put as much effort as I can into these chapters. I'll at least put more effort into these stories than most other comic book writers have been doing nowadays. Anyways, this chapter that you're about to read was fun to write and it'll help to introduce some of the new characters appearing in this story. There's more to come, but for now, let me thank our new OC Creators; memorysdaughter (Aliselyn and Patrick Shinn), SayHiToNeverland (Franco Adessi), Chloe999 (Rose Anderson), and Bambooozled (Alice-Jane Worthington). There's also an OC that appeared in our last story created by our buddy NN010 (Bruce Gordon) who created another character, that'll appear again in this story during this chapter. Submissions are still open if you still want to submit more OCs. I'm looking for non-powered S.H.I.E.L.D. or HYDRA Agents if anyone's interested. I should also point out that when I mentioned you could submit a character for Coulson's team, I actually meant that you could submit a character for my own OC's team. Sorry about the confusion. Of course, thank you as well to my current OC Authors who kindly submitted your OCs. This is only the first round of characters appearing in this story, mind you. I have many more still a few chapters away from joining, but all things considered, this is a good amount of characters to have appearing in this first opening bit. I have some interesting plot developments for all these characters, so strap yourselves in tightly. It's going to be a bumpy ride! As always, reviews are appreciated. And I own NOTHING but my OCs. This is for FAN-purpopses ONLY, so PLEASE don't sue! Other than that, enjoy!**

 _ **Chicago, May 15th, 1995...**_

By this time, the United States was no less than one year away from a major disaster and already things were not going so well for the country. Some had called out against the government in anger over certain decisions being made but today, there was a crisis going on that might've warranted more attention than what they got.

Right in the heart of Chicago, five gunmen calling themselves 'The Purificators' were held up in an apartment building. One of them was holding a woman hostage, and from the size of her very round belly, she was already eight months pregnant.

"We are not here to make demands!" One of the Purificators yelled, "We are here to make a purpose! This woman is guilty of mating with someone not of our kind! We demand that she be put down with her child now, or the child will spread and procreate like a wild virus until the world belongs to freaks and not us!"

"Please!" The woman cried, "I feel like I'm going to give birth at any second!"

"Shut up!" One of the nearby kidnappers yelled, slugging her in the face with a gun, "We are going to kill you and that bastard child of yours, and NOBODY WILL CARE!"

Just then, there was a knock on the door. The Purificators looked confused as they weren't expecting anyone else. Slowly, one of them crept towards the door, their gun held tightly behind his back.

Opening the door, he was met with somewhat gruff-looking man with long orange hair. He looked like the kind of guy who would work at a department store and would help you out if needed. He smiled at the gunmen as if they were close friends.

"You forgot to ask who's there." The man pointed out.

With that, he quickly punched the guy standing before him. The impact actually created a hole in the gunman's chest as the stranger held the guy a few inches off the ground. The others quickly moved to him, but the stranger zipped open his medical pouch and drew two scalpels which he threw at the men. They stopped, gasping for air as the man went over to the woman who was taking heavy breaths.

"How'd you find me, Cal?" She asked.

"Was in the area to do a couple of things and heard about it on the news." Cal replied, "Good to see you, old friend."

The woman was about to reply when there was a loud SPLICK! sound and she looked down amazed. Before Cal knew it, she had collapsed on the ground, clutching her chest in pain.

"OH GOD!" She screamed, "CAL! MY WATER JUST BROKE!"

"What?!" He asked, "You're having it now?!"

"Yes!" She screamed, "I...OH GOD!"

She felt another contraction hit her hard. Cal wasted no time and quickly got her ready. In a few minutes, Cal had made a makeshift operation table to help his friend deliver her baby.

"Who's the father?" Cal asked, running a wet cloth over her head.

"It doesn't matter." She groaned, taking deep breaths, "He's gone..."

"All right." Cal replied, understandingly, "Here we go. I need you to push."

She looked at him sadly, but he gently squeezed her hand.

"Whatever happens next," he assured, "I'm here for you as a friend."

She nodded and began pushing. Her belly muscles tightened as she began to feel the worst stomach cramp of her life. The feeling went down between her legs as she felt she was on fire and being crushed to death at the same time.

"Come on, push!" Cal encouraged.

She felt something pushing at her hips. She wanted to stop, but she couldn't now. Instead, she continued pushing as hard as she could. The woman let out a loud scream of pain to the point where she felt she couldn't breathe.

Finally, she let out and the pain began to fade away. She felt something now attached between her legs. Cal quickly cut her umbilical cord making her gasp for a brief second, before he did a quick inspection of something in his hands. When he was done. He turned to smile at her.

"Congratulations." He replied, "It's another girl."

The woman held her hands out as Cal handed the baby to her. She was small but had some signs of brown hair growing. The woman quickly tore a bit off of her dress and wrapped the baby in there, holding it close to her.

"She's beautiful." She said, tears forming in her eyes.

Cal noticed the tears in his friend's eye and looked confused.

"You all right?" He asked.

She looked at him and shook her head.

"I'm sorry I couldn't help with him." Cal said, "I couldn't save him. You know how hard I tried. It's just…"

He slammed his fist down hard, but brought it back up, trying to keep his cool.

"It's fine." He assured, "I'm fine."

"I know…" The woman said, "But as much as I love her…I can't keep her with me. You know how dangeorous our lives are."

The man sighed and agreed.

"Fine." He said, "So what are you going to tell the orphanage to name her?"

The woman looked at her daughter and gave a soft smile.

"Katie." She said, "Katie Sheila. Carlton was my father's name and I guess I just like the name Sheila."

Cal nodded. He looked at the young girl who almost cooed at him. Cal remembered his own daughter's birth…no…he couldn't afford to go there now.

"So you're not going to tell me who Katie's father is? For old time's sake?"

"Sorry, Cal." The woman apologized, "I made a promise."

"No, it's fine." Cal assured, "Just thought I'd give it that."

"C'mon." The woman said, as Cal helped her up, "Let's get going."

As they left, Cal couldn't help but have this feeling in the back of his head. He figured there was something else his friend was keeping from him, but decided not to push it for now.

….

 _ **A Small Private Island off the Bahamas, Now...**_

The water was warm as Katie Sheila dived into it. She was dressed only in a skimpy bikini but that did not matter. She had far more deadly weapons available, such as charm, beauty, intelligence and sexuality. All these tips and lessons during her training sessions had only increased thanks to determination and daily practice during her days off. She would've been considered to be the new Black Widow of the New S.H.I.E.L.D., except A) she was not Russian, and B) Melinda May could still kick her ass and currently held the highest martial arts records on the new S.H.I.E.L.D.

Katie looked over to see her mark, Kristoph Scylintine. He was handsome and charismatic; he was every woman's fantasy. She walked over to him, soaking up the admiring looks of every man she walked past and revelling in the secret seething jealousy of every woman. "Do you have to go to work today?" She purred softly.

"Alas yes."

"Well I'll miss you." She picked up her towel and started to dry her arms and legs. "I suppose I'll have to spend the whole day shopping."

"I'll assign one of my men to accompany you."

"Won't you get jealous if I make him watch as I try on lingerie?"

"Behave yourself Anna."

"I'll try." Katie liked playing the role of Anna, but she could never be like her really. Anna was a foreign exchange student who won a contest to attend and view one of the new schools Scylintine was building, but Anna boring vapid creature obsessed only with perpetuating a false cliché of feminine servitude.

Katie had been sent here because Scylintine had been recently discovered to be a funder of HYDRA for god-knows what reason. Even with the new S.H.I.E.L.D. attacking them in the shadows and the Avengers tackling them in public, HYDRA still had some major influences. Even though Katie and Arthur had knocked most of the followers down a few pegs a while back, they still managed to come out of the woodwork. Scylintine had apparently been funding the group from here where international laws couldn't hurt him and thus the mission fell to Katie to do three things. Part one: infiltrate his base of operations. Check. Part two: kill Scylintine. Already working on that, as she headed into the hotel. Part three: steal the transactions of HYDRA so S.H.I.E.L.D. could use it themselves and give a good amount back to those who really needed it. Multitasking that with part two.

The hotel room was white marble and gold, except for those items most beloved by Kristoph. Like his file had suggested they were all silver, a terrible faux pas but there it was.

"You were foolish, Katie Sheila. A silly girl playing games she is not skilled enough to play."

Katie cursed silently. Her real ID had been made, someone had recognised her. "We all have our orders. Mine was to locate you." Katie dipped her hand into the silver bucket of half-melted ice cubes.

Scylintine drew his silver plated Magnum .45. "Too bad."

Katie threw ice water at Kristoph's face; she smiled as a large chunk hit his eye, then she dived to her left, rolled and came at him from the side. She went for the ribs with a devastating punch, followed by a kick to the soft and danglies. "That's got to hurt." She picked up the silver gun. "As I was saying, my orders are to locate you, and kill you." She fired once; her mark's head was pulped by the passage of the bullet through it. "You boys and your toys."

She wiped her fingerprints off of the gun and then threw it on the body. Then she pulled out a nearby drawer and got a laptop out of there. Pulling her nearby bag out from where she had stashed it in the closet, she retrieved a small USB-like device. She stuck it into the computer and got to work instantly. A few clicks and taps later and she was already in. HYDRA's money, their shareholders, their stocks…she hit the jackpot.

She began to hum 'Hallelujah' to herself quietly as she activated the USB Drive from the laptop. Instantly, all the money was taken out as an image appeared of a paper sheet moving from a globe to a folder. In a few seconds, it was done. S.H.I.E.L.D. had probably better stocks and cash than they had previously had.

 _Stealing money for a good cause?_ Katie thought to herself, _Priceless._

With that, she unhooked the USB Drive and retrieved her bag. She then opened a new document and typed some words onto there.

'DEAR HYDRA,

IOU 1.2 BILLION DOLLARS.

LOVE,

S.H.I.E.L.D.

PS:

GOOD LUCK FINDING US! XD'

With that, she put the laptop back where she found it and retrieved her bag. There was a pounding on the door and suddenly it exploded inwards. Katie saw machine guns and she made a split second decision. She ran over to the balcony and jumped from it into the deep end of the pool 4 floors below. She burst to the surface like a half-drowned rat and clawed her way out of the pool. The bag was a new impact-bag so all of her stuff wouldn't get soggy or crushed from the fall as she pulled it and herself out of the water. She then ducked into the service hut where she quickly threw on a maid's uniform and a blonde wig. She emerged outside a moment later and quickly got into her car. She sat back and was handed a towel by Tabatha, who got out and moved to the passenger's seat as Katie took the driver's seat.

"Nice going Katie. I thought I was going to have to bail you out. Boss's waiting for us back at base." Tabatha said, with playful sarcasm.

"Thank goodness for both of us that you didn't." Katie laughed at her colleague's exasperation.

Tabatha was still trying to get used to the fact that her best friend was a secret agent, and now she and Abby were as well thanks to Katie's suggestion. Since then, they looked forward to every adventure together, but Katie had also quickly taught them that every adventure could be their last. It was always important to remember that and fortunately, they learned quicker than Katie herself had.

She picked up the remote phone as Katie activated the flight and invisibility system. The last of which had been recently installed thanks to Bruce. He had been handeling the R&D for the new S.H.I.E.L.D. alongside Sabrina, Fitz, and Simmons, but right now it was just Bruce and Sabrina, and even then it wasn't enough to get enough stealth devices for everyone as quickly as they needed.

"Faye!" Katie smiled, "Tell the boss we'll be back in the base within the next few hours, so he should be ready for us."

"Uh, Katie..." Faye said, "Not to be rude, but...Arthur's still away on a mission."

Katie smiled to herself. Despite everything, Arthur loved going on a few missions every so often on his own. Still, he had backup with him at least this time around.

….

 _ **The Spec-Ops Plane, Above Panama Canal...**_

Arthur put on his goggles as Jessica opened the backdoor to the plane. The warm and humid felt like a bitch of warmness at the Rays hit his body, but Arthur bore with it as best he could. His Boss had given him a very important assignment and Arthur was determined not to screw up.

He had definitely changed from a few months prior. He had let his previously short hair grow and he was more well-built than he had been previously. Currently, he wore a black long sleeve shirt and pants which was adorned with all sorts of high-tech S.H.I.E.L.D. tools and weapons. As the drop-zone light went green, Arthur jumped off the ramp and began his quick descent. Tapping a button near the top of his shirt, his armpit area suddenly filled up with the suit's glide feature as he descended down into the area near the canal that he had been asked to investigate. Namely, the giant ship that was approaching now. Hitting another button, Arthur's light distortion pack activated as he suddenly turned invisible to the men on the boat who were patrolling and holding guns close to them.

He landed on the back of the boat and quickly entered a nearby door and went down a long flight of stairs. Once at the bottom, he could see a long hallway with a lone door at the end. He could hear voices talking at the end, so he decided he would give them the element of surprise. Just not in the way he'd do it almost a year ago. Shifting his light disorder again, Arthur was now visible except to any other person who could see him, he was wearing nothing but a white tux and black bow tie with black dress shoes. His weapons were still concealed so the people down here would get a big surprise.

Finally reaching the door, Arthur knocked and waited patiently. After a minute or two, the door opened revealing a large bald thug in a green shirt and pants. There were two other guys there dressed similarly to him, but there was one figure who was tied to a chair in chains with a bag over his head which was kneeling down. The muscular guy looked at Arthur surprised, so he just flashed a smile at him.

"I suppose saying I'm from Jehovah's Witness is a bit far-fetched, isn't it?" Arthur asked.

The man went for his gun but Arthur grabbed his own pistol first, shoving it into the guy's chest and killing him at point-blank range. The other guys saw this and raced to shoot him down, but Arthur raised his watch and pounded it on his chest before moving it from left to right outwards. Two sharp discs spun out and hit the other two in the chest, causing them to become dismembered.

Arthur nodded and walked up to the hooded figure. Quickly pressing two fingers on his neck, Arthur found that thankfully, he was still alive and well.

He removed the hood revealing the face of a bald young African American man underneath. His left face was scared and had a robotic-like red eye in there. Now that he could see him better, Arthur noticed he was in a rather high-tech robotic-like suit. The guy could practically be a cyborg if not for his (mostly) still human head.

"Mike Peterson." Arthur smiled, "My name is Arthur Williams. I work for S.H.I.E.L.D. and I'm here to bring you home. My boss wants a quick chat with you. And no, we're not HYDRA."

He freed Mike using some new small laser pen as the last Deathlok around got up.

"I figured you weren't." Mike said, rubbing his hands, "You seemed like too nice of a person for that."

"C'mon." Arthur smiled, as they began making their way back to the top.

"Do I know said boss?" Mike asked.

"You do." Arthur assured, "But I want it to be a surprise, if you don't mind. Again, not HYDRA."

"Why do I have the feeling we met?" Mike asked.

"We didn't." Arthur assured, "But you met my protégé; Katie Sheila."

He looked at him.

"You...uh...kinda almost choked her to death." He added, "But I understand you were under mind control, so I'll let it slide."

He opened the door revealing a number of HYDRA Agents pointing guns at them.

"Is this part of the plan as well?" Mike asked.

"As a matter of fact," Arthur pointed out, "Yes it was."

At that moment, a hovering black convertible sports car popped up from behind the ledge and two twin machine guns appeared from the headlights.

"DOWN!" Arthur yelled.

The HYDRA Agents looked back and were imminently riddled with bullets.

When they had stopped, Arthur got back up with Mike and ran over to the railing where the car was floating behind.

Arthur gripped the railing and flung himself over to the car, as he landed in the driver's seat. Mike simply ran up gaining momentum and leaped early, jumping a bit higher than a normal human should and landed in the passenger's seat.

"Now what?" Mike asked.

Arthur simply pressed a button on his belt and the ship began to explode.

"Now we have a quick meeting with my boss." Arthur said, "Don't worry; you can trust him easily."

"How's that?"

Arthur smiled.

"Let's just say he was the man who helped you kill Garrett."

...

 _ **Soon, The Playground...**_

Mike was surprised to learn Phil Coulson was in charge of this operation. Nonetheless, he accepted Phil's handshake and thanked him again for everything he was able to do given the circumstances.

"We've all been trying to do our best." Arthur admitted after Phil had recounted his recent goals to Mike, "But it's been difficult especially with the U.S. Military on our ass."

"Which is why we want to make a deal." Phil said, looking at Mike seriously, "Mike... we'd like you to be a consultant to our new S.H.I.E.L.D."

Mike looked at him confused.

"What do you mean?" Mike asked.

"Basically," Phil explained, "We'd have you refitted with the latest technology and weapons and in turn, every so often, you would be asked to come in when there's a desperate problem."

"Otherwise," Arthur continued, "You'd still be doing your own thing. Just you'd be backup if things ever got really bad."

"What do you think?" Phil asked.

Mike sighed and thought about it.

"Just promise me you won't be monitoring me like Garrett did." He asked.

"We won't be monitoring you like Garrett did." Phil assured.

"I'd vouch my life on it too." Arthur added, "Scout's honor."

Mike nodded.

"I'm in." Mike said.

"Good to have you onboard then." Phil replied.

He looked up behind Mike.

"Ah," He said, "Agent Gordon."

The others turned to see Bruce Gordon standing in the doorway. He was wearing a labcoat and goggles on his head.

"Mike." Arthur said, "This is Doctor Bruce Gordon, my team's engineer. He'll be taking a look at your systems and giving them the upgrades we talked about."

"And I also have our team biologist/medical expert Sabrina Washionton." Bruce added, "If you need any repairs with the scars."

"Thanks." Mike replied.

With that, the two left. As they did, Jessica passed by. Arthur noted she was wearing a black tank top and blue jeans. She was sweating and Arthur figured from her worried face that it wasn't because she was working out in the gym.

"How's she doing?" Phil asked.

"As well as can be expected." Arthur replied, "How about you, Boss?"

"As can be expected." Phil admitted.

"We're trying everything we can to learn about it." Arthur admitted, "But we haven't got anything."

"You'll need to find something soon." Phil told him, "Otherwise we might have to look into other options."

Arthur nodded solemnly. He then checked his watch.

"It's about that time." He said.

"Try to play nice." Phil said, sarcastically.

"I do the best I can." Arthur replied, cracking a smile.

He followed a flight of stairs going bellow the facility before arriving in a single basement. There was a single area covered by white bricks. Next to it was a lone bed containing a man with a thick black beard.

"Waney-wakey, Wardy." Arthur said sarcastically.

Ward rolled over, frowning at Arthur.

"Awww." Arthur said, sarcastically, "Is someone feeling a wittle butt-hurt? It shouldn't be that uncommon, Ward. After all we both know from experience with May..."

Ward slammed his fists against the force-barrier. He was still trapped.

"I'm sorry, Ward." Arthur replied, sarcastically, "You must have me confused with someone who gives a shit about your love-life. You need to learn to get over it, buddy."

He looked at him seriously.

"I'd ask if you had anything to share, but since May or Coulson didn't get anything out of you, I'd say you were as worthless as a worn-out condom."

With that, he pressed a button on a nearby tablet and the wall next to ward disappeared and reappeared on Ward's side, covering him from view. In the place of the wall was another bench but this occupant was an African American who also spotted a thick beard, but had only one arm. He looked at Arthur not that surprised.

"Agent Williams." He said, "You're on time as always."

"Thanks for the compliment, Tyler." Arthur said sarcastically, "Do you have anything else you wish to share?"

"Open this barrier and I'll tell you." Tyler replied.

"Not a snowball's chance in hell." Arthur replied, "Onto more important matters. We've found a short list of HYDRA leaders. It includes the names Whitehall, List, and Strucker. I'm willing to bet though there were others involved who didn't receive my Mom's special implants. So tell me; did she mention any other people in command before me and Katie turned her extra-deep-fried?"

"Only those you mentioned." Tyler said.

"Why tell me this?" Arthur asked.

"Because it's all I know." Tyler said, "Just to make you realize how worthless it is to chase them! You cost me my arm, my job, my life's work, EVERYTHING! You can't find any of these people. They'll find you."

"Uh-huh." Arthur noted, "Can anyone say 'selective memory?' Okay, Tyler. Here's the facts as they happened, you lost your arm because Katie cut it off. Now while you were fighting her because it was your job, that job was a terrorist organization which threatened the safety of everyone living on this planet. You followed them because they promised you your life's work would be getting back at Fury years after he caused the death of your father, and you wanted to hurt him back by killing people you never knew many years later. Face it, Tyler. You never had anything to loose. You made your choices yourself out of your own personal vendetta and look where it's placed you."

He looked at Tyler sternly.

"This conversation is over seeing as how you can't cooperate."

"You think I care?" Tyler asked, "I promise you, Arthur. Me and Ward already know how we're getting out and you and Katie are very high on my hit-list."

"Interesting you didn't say Top." Arthur replied, "Perhaps you do have someone you hate more than us. Care to share it?"

"Go to hell." Tyler spat.

"Night, Tyler." Arthur called, sarcastically as he walked up the stairs, "Don't let the bedbugs bite."

….

 _ **Later, Finland, Sweeden…**_

The trip to the facility had been a bit long, but despite the somewhat rough turbulence, Mike, Bruce, and Sabirna had made it to the secret facility just fine. The facility itself was hidden in a hotel of all places. The two had went around a secret backdoor entrance to discover a hidden service elevator at which point Bruce and Sabrina both scanned their ID Cards. The lift clicked and brought them down further than Mike expected. Eventually, they hit ground level and the two entered a massive laboratory facility where S.H.I.E.L.D. Scientists were working left and right moving around with different chemicals, field equipment, and various other things Mike wasn't aware of yet. As the three walked down the crowded hallways, a couple of S.H.I.E.L.D. Agents gave small gasps when they saw Mike, but not in the terrified way. Mike assumed it was because most of them had been informed of his arrival.

Eventually they entered a room which contained a Deathlok Armor upgrade chair similar to the one he had seen at the facility where he had stopped Garrett. Except this one looked less sinister and surprisingly it didn't look as though the thing would hurt as much.

"In the new S.H.I.E.L.D." Sabrina explained, "We're priding ourselves on improving on the faults of the last organization. That includes making things better for everyone."

Mike nodded.

"So listen;" He said, "Are you two…a thing?"

"A thing?" Bruce asked.

"He means a couple?" Sabrina whispered.

"Oh!" Bruce realized, "Um…yes! Yes we are."

"Figured," Mike smiled, getting into the reclined chair, "Kind of like Fitz and Simmons."

Bruce and Sabrina cringed at the sound of those names, as Mike suddenly looked concerned.

"What?" He asked.

"Fitz and Simmons…aren't that much of a couple anymore." Sabrina admitted, sadly.

"What happened?" Mike asked.

"Ward." Bruce said, with disgust, "From what we understand, he ejected Fitz and Simmons out into the ocean where they hit the bottom. Fitz tried to get Simmons out, but she wouldn't leave without him. They both made it back to the surface but something happened to Fitz."

"He was without oxygen for too long." Sabrina continued, "His brain it's…it's only half as efficient as it is now. We're basically in charge of all the bio and technology for this new S.H.I.E.L.D. But we're running low on money which seems to be something the staff here demands. Fortunately our good friend is getting that for us now as we speak."

"And Simmons?" Mike questioned, "What happened to her?"

"We don't know." Bruce admitted, "She just upped and left one day. We're trying to help Fitz as best we can, but clearly it seems like we're not doing enough."

"Well, a word of advice." Mike replied, "You two keep trying to help him. He's a good man, you know."

"We know." Sabrina nodded.

Bruce nodded and took a nearby iPad-like device he had been holding underneath his right arm out and began tapping away.

"So…" He said, "Let's get you upgraded then."

"You sure you're qualified to use that?" Mike said with a raised eyebrow.

"Trust me." He said, "I have all the PhD's needed to do it."

….

 _ **Later, The Playground…**_

Katie found Arthur in his new office a few minutes later. She had quickly changed into a Joan Jett T-Shirt and beige shorts when she entered his new office. It wasn't like the Spec-Op Plane's Office, but it was just as impressive. Around the walls were framed newspaper headlines of everything that could've covered the end of the world if not for S.H.I.E.L.D. However, behind Arthur's wooden desk where he sat was a picture he had taken recently of him standing alongside his team. Behind them was the SSR Logo which covered most of the new base.

As the team had learned, this base had previously belonged to the precursor to S.H.I.E.L.D. and even Peggy Carter herself had worked in this very building. Katie felt like this was living history and wondered perhaps many years later if they would build a museum for S.H.I.E.L.D. in the Smithsonian. She wondered if it might happen to include this very picture as an exhibit to point out who was who when the time came.

She noticed Arthur was on his phone when he finally saw her standing before him. He was dressed in a white buttoned-down shirt and black pants, with black socks and loafers, and had his feet on the desk. Looking up at her, he quickly informed the person he would have to get going and talk later.

As he hung up, he looked at the young agent before him.

"Agent Sheila." He smiled, "How was the meeting with Kristoph Scylintine?"

"As to be expected." Katie replied, taking a seat and crossing one leg over the other, "I gave him a good helping of lead and then left with the money."

She tossed Arthur the USB drive which he caught with one open hand.

"It's all there, boss." She replied, "HYDRA's Money, their transactions, the stocks, everything we need to pay off the scientists and get more recruits for this place."

"Good." Arthur replied, looking at the drive, "And the rest we have leftover we can use to give to those who need it."

He looked at her.

"And just for the record." He pointed out, "Phil's the boss. There's no reason to keep calling me that."

"Alright, Arthur." Katie said, leaning back in her chair, "So now that we've got our money problems sorted out, we can move onto recruitment, yes?"

"Of course." Arthur replied, "Unfortunately, Phil and his guys and girls are away on a mission right now."

"So where does that put us?" Katie questioned.

"That leaves us with recruiting." Arthur said, getting up and walking into Phil's office where a bunch of folders laid strewn about the table, "I already managed to snag one guy onboard, so it's a good thing you called when you did."

"Is this that Hunter guy?" Katie asked.

"No." Arthur answered, as he pulled a box that was sitting on the chair onto the table, "Phil's left to talk to him now. Can't imagine it's going to be pretty once he finds his former ex-wife's on the team."

Katie nodded.

"But he's pretty good." Arthur assured, "Franco Adessi. Former Mafia son who never got into the family business since Don Daddy never spent that much time with him. HYDRA Eventually conned his family to releasing him once he got arrested for involvement in exchange for genetically altering his cells."

"So we've got a superpower on our team!" Katie said, amazed, "Awesome!"

"He's not on the team." Arthur corrected, "He's a good man, but he's not ready to join us officially yet. So for now he's nothing more than a consultant."

"Right." Katie said, looking at a file, "Huh, Isabelle Hartley."

"That's for Phil's team." Arthur told her, "So put it back."

Katie did so as Arthur took the box back with him.

"We have a lot of reading to do." He pointed out.

….

 _ **JFK Airport…**_

Raina couldn't help but constantly look over her shoulder as she waited for her contact to return. She knew he was her only chance at learning more and discovering about the legends her Grandmother used to tell her when Raina was but a child.

But that didn't mean she was getting impatient.

Though S.H.I.E.L.D. and HYDRA had both pretty much collapsed, their presences could still be felt worldwide, and because of that, she had to pay attention at all times. There were a lot of things she did to both sides that she felt were making her a public enemy on their hit-list. She only hoped she wouldn't be killed before she found what she believed would be her destiny.

Finally, the plane her contact said he'd be returning on landed and from among the busy crowd stepped the man who claimed to be Skye's true father. Following him was a woman wearing a dark green trench coat and hat. She had frizzly blonde hair making Raina believe that she had been living as a hermit of sorts for some time. As they finally stood before her, Raina noticed that the woman Cal was with had a rather large pet cage. Then she saw the giant snake within the cage and gasped. Fortunately, the bars were not enough for it to get through, but the snake didn't seem to like her as soon as it laid eyes on her and gave a rather angry hiss.

"Raina." The Man said, "Good to see you! This is my friend…"

"Just call me Princess for now." The woman interrupted, "Now tell me, what the hell happened to my daughter?"

"Your daughter is with Cal's daughter." Raina said, not wanting this woman to blow a loose fuse, and do something crazy like unleash the snake from its cage, "She's a S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent Close to Arthur Williams."

"Probably up on the least favorite Agents of mine that Raina's told me about." Cal noted, "Also hate that Phil Coulson guy as well."

"Tell me more about this Arthur Williams." Princess declared, as they started walking towards the exit, "What's he like?"

"Honestly?" Raina said, "He's started off as something of a drill-sergeant. A by-the-books agent. But your daughter managed to lighten his mood more and he appears to not be all that serious. He's still deadly though. He's mastered many different martial arts moves and has an excellent marksmanship. That combined with his other team members means you're probably going to have to get your daughter away from them before you can even talk to her."

"That's the plan." Cal noted.

"Is that all you have to ask me?" Raina questioned to the woman.

The woman looked at her like she was a fool, looked her up and down, and nodded.

"It is. For now." She stated.

"So how did you two meet exactly?" Raina asked.

"Oh!" Cal said, clapping his hands once and rubbing them together with a giddy expression, "That is a good story. Princess here went to China when I met my Daughter's Mom. Turns out she was a sophomore college student looking into medical research for animals and was doing research there with her college crew. I remember when I met her she was late for an internship class and she had missed her class buss. I was getting my place ready for the day when I saw her screaming for a ride. Since nobody really spoke English there except me, and since I had some free time on my hands, I decided to drive her over there. As it turned out, she was staying not that far from where me and my then-future wife lived so we tended to hang out a lot."

"Surprised you two didn't get together." Raina pointed out.

The woman stopped and Raina was worried that she might've said something bad. She didn't want to do anything to piss off either of them, but it appeared as if she might've said something that made Princess upset. However, she just turned her head a little so Raina was visible out of one eye.

"He was already dating his wife then." Princess responded, "And I wasn't going to get involved."

"But we stayed friends ever since." Cal said, wrapping one of his arms around her as if they were drinking partners, "And now we're back together to get our children back."

With that, they continued walking with Raina wondering what the hell she had gotten herself into.

…...

 _ **Later, The Playground…**_

"Uh-huh." Arthur stated, into his phone, "Well thank you so much for finally taking us up on our offer and joining us then, Mrs. Anderson. Yes, I was sorry to hear about Donnie's betrayal as well. Okay, you can be assured we will look forward to having you onboard."

With that, he hung up and sighed folding his hands behind his head.

"Success?" A voice asked.

He looked up to see Jessica standing in the doorway. Held beneath her right arm was a large stone slab which had been carved into.

"With recruitment? Yes." Arthur answered, walking up and taking the carving from her, "Finding a cure for this symptom? No."

"It's getting worse, Arthur." Jessica sighed as Arthur went back behind his desk, "I don't know how much longer I can keep my sanity before I go nuts. Completely."

She folded her arms as Arthur slightly titled the photo of all of them to its side. The wall lowered revealing a secret safe where many similar carvings were situated ontop of each other. Arthur placed the new piece in with the rest and then repositioned the photo, hiding the secret collection.

"It's been happening non-stop now." She continued, "It's almost like clockwork and I'm actually getting scared. I don't want to end up like how John Garrett apparently did."

"Yeah. Well, we don't have to worry about that." Arthur said, sitting behind his desk and folding his hands, "At least you're better than he was."

"I mean it, Arthur." Jessica replied, sternly, "If we can't cure me before I go nuts, I need you to promise me something."

Arthur raised an eyebrow at her.

"If you don't find a solution in time," She told him, "I want you to kill me."

Arthur looked at her amazed.

"Please." She said, "I'm asking you to do this as a fellow agent…and as a friend."

Arthur looked at her before going back to his work.

"Jess…" He replied, "I'm sorry. But there has to be another way. We're missing something, I know it."

"We can't take that chance now!" Jessica declared, "I'm going to wake up one day and I might end up killing you all without even realizing it."

"If it comes to that, I'll put you down myself." Arthur assured, "But no matter what, Jessica, we can't lose you. Not now."

"Um…sir?" A new voice responded.

The two looked to see Tabatha Jennings standing in the doorway with an iPad like-device.

"How long were you waiting there?" Arthur asked.

"Just a few minutes." Tabatha admitted, "Anyways, I just heard from Franco. He said he's got big news."

…...

 _ **Penn Station, New York…**_

Franco Adessi was not one to be all that trustworthy of people. He would usually act on emotions. But this…this was something he had to check in on.

"And you're sure it's him?" Arthur asked.

"Yes." Franco replied, checking his phone which was currently on Twitter while he was on contact with Arthur. The photo was of a man with a scar on his chin and a goatee with black hair. Pulling his phone down, Franco could see the spinning image of a guy with a matching description, walking towards a departing train towards Atlanta, Georgia. He was carrying a bag with him, but Franco could see it had some kind of bombs inside.

"Nick Jones." Arthur declared, "How did you know about him, anyway?"

"S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Intel was leaked online, remember?" Franco asked.

"Oh, that's right." Arthur said, with realization, "My bad. Sorry. Been busy running a team and all. Anyway, what's it look like?"

"He's got bombs on him." Franco said, "Although I can't get a good fix on where he's hiding a detonator. In fact, he might not have one on him."

"Franco…" Arthur said, "Head back outside. We have a two-people team who will assist you in getting Nick. Do it as discreetly as possible."

Franco was about to retort, when the phone hung up. He sighed. As much as he didn't like working with others, he wasn't completely empathetic. Besides, unlike the rest of his crime family, Franco actually cared about human life. If those bombs detonated, they looked as though they might be able to take out the entire station, and that was the last thing Franco wanted to see.

So he left, and outside he imminently knew he had found his contacts waiting for him. Standing in front of a sports car were two women. One was a girl with short red curly hair and dark framed glasses. The second was a woman who had lightly tanned skin, and stood at 5'3". She had long, coffee brown hair which was thick and wavy, falling to her elbows in a ponytail. Finally, the woman had wide, hazel eyes framed by long, black eyelashes. Overall, the second woman had an athletic build, while the first looked like she belonged in a lab. However, both women were wearing fine suits that looked awfully expensive.

"Mr. Adessi?" The Redheaded woman asked, "My name is Blair Praetor. This is Alice-Jane Worthing."

"Just call me AJ." The lightly tanned woman said, "Anyways, come on. We're burning daylight."

Franco got in the car and the agents buckled up. Alice drove the car into a supposedly dead-end, but then hit two buttons. Two seconds later, the car flew up and soon they were above the buildings and flying through the sky.

"I hope you realize that it's uncommon for people to see a flying car!" Franco pointed out.

"Relax." Blair assured him, "We've got cloaking on this thing. Trust me, Arthur might be a bit harsh at times, but he's not a complete idiot. Most of the time, anyway."

"How do you know?" Franco questioned, with a raised eyebrow.

"Just trust me." Blair said, as they started to descend the car over the train's roof.

"There we go!" AJ said, looking back at Franco, "Well, Mr. Adessi; go get em!"

He looked at her shocked, but realized this might as well be the only way to acquire the missing S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent. Opening the door, he stepped out onto the trains roof and began making his way to the front. Suddenly and unexpectedly, one of the nearby doors opened and Nick Jones jumped out of there with his bag. Franco made a large leap to grab the bag, but then he heard a beeping noise. Doing the only thing that was instinctive to him after HYDRA had experimented on him as payment for getting him sprung from jail by request of his family, Franco raised his arms as they crossed to cover his face. Suddenly, whole chunks of the earth rose up and formed a barrier between him and Jones. The explosion went off and Franco was thrown back into the train and back down to the ground again where he was knocked unconscious.

When he came to, he looked up and saw that AJ and Blair were looking over him and a few other S.H.I.E.L.D. Agents were surverying the area.

"What happened?" He asked with a groan, rubbing the back of his head.

"Honestly?" A familiar voice asked, "We have no idea."

He looked to see Arthur Williams approaching.

"He detonated the bombs, that's for sure." He said, "Fortunately, nobody was harmed during this experience."

"So what's the problem?" Franco asked.

"He didn't blow up when the explosion happened." Arthur pointed out showing him an iPad like device, "Nearby surveillance caught this."

He watched as Blair was consumed by smoke. Then before it had engulfed his body, it suddenly disappeared completely out of nowhere in one frame.

"The hell?" He asked, confused, "is this another HYDRA Act?!"

"Let's hope it is." Arthur suggested worriedly, "Otherwise things might've gotten more complicated than I could've imagined."

…

 _ **Location Unknown…**_

Nick Jones looked around him. He was in some kind of a cave-like structure. He suddenly realized there was a laptop nearby with a very disturbing figure. Looking over it was a woman whose spine was completely bent, making everything from her middle waist come through her legs and back upwards. She stared at the computer with a blank vacant expression and an open mouth as her palms touched the edges of the laptop. Her face, though young and pretty with long dark brown hair, was one that looked as though it had suffered an eternity of torture, as it seemed to be drooping off of her face. Next to her was a young man with shaggy dark brown hair and brown eyes, holding her body as if he was trying to adjust her back so that it was in the right position.

"That was a bit sloppy." Another voice called out.

Nick turned to see another figure. This man was obviously the oldest in the room with dark grey hair, who wore a long trench coat and normal casual clothes. But perhaps the thing about him that was NOT normal was he had no eyes whatsoever. Instead, where the most expressive part of the face should have stood was simple flesh. His eyes might not have ever have existed from the looks of it.

"However, you should be thankful that our leader has decided to go through with this." The man replied, "Just remember, you're dancing on thin ice here."

"I know." Nick replied, "I used to work for these guys, remember?"

"Our people are just glad you've decided to finally join us." The man replied, "But now you have to try and lure these agents to the mist as quickly as possible.

"Why?" Nick asked.

"Because you-know-who has returned." The man said

Nick looked at him surprised.

"Her husband?" He said, with a groan, "Great. He's bound to screw this up."

"Which is why it's imperitive that you complete this task and lure this team to where they need to be." The man stated, "But remember; we don't need them to know exactly where we are yet. We have to just leave enough for them to fill in the pieces."

"And what happens after that?" Nick asked.

The man paused and turned away.

"After that, you shall ascend to become one of us." He stated, "You, and the other one we have chosen."

"Just one last question." Nick asked, "Who exactly is it that I'm luring to go after us?"

The man reached into his trench coat and pulled out a photo which he tossed to Nick. He caught it and looked at it. It featured a young girl smiling unaware that she was looking into a camera. She was young, around 20-Years-Old, with long brown hair and blue eyes.

"Katie Sheila?" Nick asked, "You want me to lure Katie Sheila into a trap?"

"Will that be a problem for you to do?" The man with no eyes questioned, "Are you still attached to your organization?"

"I'm not…" Nick assured, "It's just…there might be some complications in getting her where we need her to be."

"How so?" The man questioned.

Nick put both his palms on the back of his head and thought about how he could explain it best.

"Well…" He said, "For starters, let's say that she went from an underdog to a complete S.H.I.E.L.D. Professional in only a few moths time. She was one of the most skilled and talented operatives last I checked, and if I'm right, she's still under the careful eye of Arthur Williams; S.H.I.E.L.D.'s young bulldog."

The man just stood there for a few minutes before speaking again.

"You'll find a way." He assured, "You have to."

"Why is it important that we get Katie Sheila to be in the mist?" Nick asked.

"Call it a favor to our leader."

"What do you mean?" Nick asked.

The Man just stood there again before speaking.

"Without our leader's husband," He stated, "Katie might not've been born. So although we don't want him messing up the ritual, it's important that she be brought in as well. Call it a payment for an old friend."

Nick just looked at him.

"So are you willing to bring her in?" The man asked.

Nick just smiled.

"Yes, sir." He said, "It shouldn't be a problem."

 _ **TO. BE. CONTINUED!**_

 _ **Preview for upcoming chapters…**_

Arthur following Coulson looking quite grim.

"Our world has changed." Arthur says, "But our goal remains the same. To protect everyone on the planet."

He looks at his team, Katie, Bruce, Sabrina, Jessica, Faye, Blair, AJ, Rose Anderson, and a few others.

"So who's up for saving the world the old-fashioned way?" He says, cocking a grin.

Tyler Boateng beating down a couple of guards.

Arthur dancing with Sabrina and Katie dancing with Bruce during the events of 'Face My Enemy' the four are dressed in suits reminiscent of Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jamie Lee Curtis in the final scene of _True Lies_.

Images of a woman whose body is completely contorted being helped by a young boy.

"I'll protect you." He assures.

Princess and Cal beating down a couple of people until they're dead. One lone person tries running at them, but Princess's pet snake lashes out and starts making quick work of him.

"That was fun." She says enthusiastically.

AJ, driving a sports car being chased by the local military. She presses something and the right side of the car leans upwards diagonally, driving along the side of the building.

Nick running through a city being chased by Faye.

Jessica fighting Arthur in her room, with many carvings of the strange image lying around them.

"I NEED TO KNOW!" She screams.

"STAND DOWN, JESS." Arthur warns, "You need help!"

Faye looking in horror at a young girl in a playground as she screams to the young girl's parents who are just arriving.

Katie running in the woods, scared and almost out of breath.

Bruce being slapped in the face by Sabrina and then being left alone in a room. He tries leaving, but the door is locked.

"SABRINA!" He yells.

Arthur standing atop of a Helicarrier which seems barely functioning, looking at a city bellow him which is engulfed in flames and chaos. He drops to his knees horrified.

Sabrina alone in a graveyard. A mist starts rolling in and seems to cover her feet. A hand suddenly reaches out of the ground and grabs her leg, catching her off-guard.

Arthur and Blair driving in Barney and flying up a building.

"I think I'm regretting this choice!" Arthur yells.

"YOU THINK?!" Blair screams.

Bruce as Gordon suddenly appears behind him and knocks him out.

Katie standing besides Skye in the Terrigean mist room. Some other unseen figures are showing up behind them. In front of them, Raina and Nick arrive with the divider.

"Shall we begin?" Raina asks, with a twisted smile on her face.

 **Well, hope you enjoyed this opening chapter. Sorry it took so long for me to get up, but I'm working now, so the next chapter might take a little while longer to get up. But until then, let me know what you liked so far, what your theories are for what happens next, and where you hope the characters should go from here. Also, some of you know the secrets I've given you as to what will ultimately become of the team, but I ask that you not reveal it. After all, they're called spoilers for a good reason. Anyways, hope you all enjoyed this first chapter and with any luck, you'll all stay with me till the end. Please leave your reviews and no flames! Also, I own NOTHING but my OC's. This is for FAN-Purposes only, so PLEASE don't sue! Till next time!**


	3. Conned

**Hi, everyone! Welcome back to the Spec Ops Team 2 Chapter 2. I'm glad to see such the positive feedback I have received. In the words of Stan Lee in one of my personal favorite films he had a cameo in "I guess one man can make a difference. Nuff said!" Anyways, today we meet a few more agents of Arthur's new team and we take a break from the bigger spy game to look into a more normal life of the people around us. But before we begin, I would like to address a couple of things. Some of you have been wondering if Katie will be the only Inhuman in the story besides Skye on S.H.I.E.L.D. I have others planned but Katie will have something you won't see coming. I'm not going to say what it is specifically, but you'll just have to wait and see for yourselves. As for those of you worried about deaths…some will come, but like I said; unlike a certain writer over at Marvel, I'm not a bloody psychopath who would kill one of the characters and have a fat racist sexist misogynistic pig take over their bodies. When death DOES come, however, it will be with purpose and the characters will go out the way they should; as heroes. Which reminds me that I'm working on a short student project right now based on the super hero death cliché. Think of it as the Cabin in the Woods of Superhero Deaths. But enough about that. I'd also like to thank NN010 for creating another wonderful OC (Roger Smith) that appears in this chapter, and scrawlx01012 who created a character I mentioned this chapter, and will appear fully in the next. With that said, please enjoy this story. And as always, I own NOTHING but my OC's! This is for FAN-Purposes only, so PLEASE don't sue!**

 _ **The Playground, a few weeks later…**_

Arthur stood behind Coulson who was frowning. While the new S.H.I.E.L.D. had made great strides in reconstruction, there had been some setbacks. Most notably the sudden deaths of Agents Hartley and Idaho, the disappearance of an 0-8-4 from the precursor to S.H.I.E.L.D., and the continuing doubts of Fitz's abilities due to the incident that had been given to him by Grant Ward.

Still, there had been some accomplishments. They now had working Quinjets with cloaking, and Arthur's team had grown considerably with the new arrivals. But as they knew, HYDRA wasn't screwing around. Worst still was the fact that Raina, the mysterious woman whose goals confused even that of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s, had stolen said 0-8-4, and they were still unable to locate either her or the missing Nick Jones. There were also a number of S.H.I.E.L.D. Agents that hadn't been heard from since the fall of S.H.I.E.L.D. when Steve Rogers brought down Project: Insight, but Phil and Arthur had hopes they would resurface and join them.

"So?" Phil asked, "Any word on whether or not you found Nick Jones."

"No, sir." Arthur replied, taking out an iPad like device from his arm and pressing a few buttons, "But we did find someone who might know."

Instantly, an image of a tan man with a buzz-cut haircut appeared on the screen behind Coulson's desk.

"This is Alexander Tyrone." Arthur explained.

"And how does he help us?" Phil asked.

"He's a former member of HYDRA who only joined to get in on secrets. He graduated from MIT, with high degrees in computers. Stole apparently almost all their info prior to the Deathlok Program. Then a few weeks back he actually found out HYDRA was looking into finding out more about Nick Jones and stole info from them before going dark. But this is where things get…weird."

He clicked another few buttons and another image came up of three of mean-looking goons.

"Recently," Arthur continued, "He actually resurfaced on Facebook of all places to say where he would be next weekend. Needless to say, HYDRA saw this and have assembled a group of mercenaries to take him out for a large price."

"But why come out of hiding in the first place?" Phil asked, "It doesn't make any sense."

"Agreed." Arthur noted, "Especially when you consider where he's going to."

Phil looked at him with a raised eyebrow.

"Where's that?" He asked.

…

 _ **Soon…**_

"San Diego Comic Con!" Katie declared, "Are. You. Serious?!"

Arthur sighed.

"I'm afraid so." He responded.

He was sitting on a couch in the recreational quarters as the rest of his team sat on a couch opposite of him. Katie, Faye, Jessica, Sabrina, Abby, Tabatha, Bruce, AJ, and Blair. Sitting with them, however, was their latest recruit. She was a young girl around 18 with straight blonde hair and green eyes. Light freckles adorned her face, as she looked at Arthur.

This was Rose Anderson, former S.H.I.E.L.D. Academy Recruit now working as a real agent of this new S.H.I.E.L.D. Arthur had read her report on how she had been dating Donnie Gill, who was taken into S.H.I.E.L.D. Custody after he had tried to make an unauthorized weapon and sell it to someone involved with HYDRA. Rose had a crush on him and had left S.H.I.E.L.D. to research into plasma weapons which would then be amplified into other useful tools that wouldn't hurt anyone. However, Arthur managed to recruit her back into S.H.I.E.L.D. even after Donnie had died at S.H.I.E.L.D.'s hands on the condition that Rose would not be asked to kill anyone.

"I always wanted to go to California." Jessica said, leaning back in her couch, "People will say Paris or London is the city of love, but I believe California is the place to be. The AT&T Park, Hollywood, Sunset Strip, the San Francisco Bridge…man, when I was younger, I always imagined going there."

"But to be at the place where thousands of people get together once every year to celebrate all things relating to heroes, fantasy, and sci-fi?" Katie asked, excitedly.

"Yeah," Arthur noted, "Well there's only going to be a handful of us going, so remember, we have to play this carefully without drawing too much attention. Which is why we'll be going under fake identities. And, so that way we can get our weapons in easier…we'll have to cosplay."

Katie's eyes lit up.

"Seriously?!" She asked, excitedly.

"Count me out." Rose said, "I'm NOT cosplaying in some skimpy outfit so people can grab my…"

"Rose, you won't be going." Arthur interjected.

Rose rasied an eyebrow and nodded.

"Okay." She said.

"The team will be comprised of myself, Katie, Jess, and Faye. I will secure our good friend Alexander Tyrone. The rest of you will be left to sweep the area for our assassins, and take them out without raising too much suspicion."

"Can we pick costumes or has it been already pre-selected?" Katie asked.

"It's pre-selected." Arthur replied, "I figured it'd be good enough to have us go in costumes that would conceal our weapons best."

"Okay." Faye sighed, "What did you have for us?"

….

 _ **Later, San Diego Comic Con…**_

 _I'm gonna kill him. I'm gonna kill him. I'm gonna kill him. I'm gonna kill him. I'm gonna kill him. I'm gonna kill him. I'm gonna kill him. I'm gonna kill him. I'm gonna kill him. I'm gonna kill him…_

Faye kept thinking this to herself all the way through as she walked past the crowd of people. She didn't have a problem with the fact that they smelled like shame. It wasn't the fact that some people were whistling catcalls at her. It wasn't even the fact that some people were eying her with lust. No. Her biggest gripe was the costume that Arthur had chosen for her.

It was a blue female dress with a white dress shirt underneath, and high heels like something out of the 1940's. Underneath the coat was a revolver gun that had been outfitted to fire off icer rounds but modified to pass by the security. On her head was a red hat with black and white stripes which seemed to cover part of Faye's hair.

Of all the people Faye had to be picked to go as, Arthur HAD to pick Peggy Carter. It was bad enough some of the desperate nerds here had a fetish for someone who was by now in her late 80's (though to be fair, they were referring to back before Steven Rogers was frozen,) but some people actually called her Agent Carter now. She had heard that apparently this TV series was going to be put into production soon about Peggy's life following the disappearance of Rogers, so obviously people would know who she was playing as.

"Cheer up, Rene." Katie smiled, wrapping an arm around her shoulder, "It's not that bad!"

Rene had been Faye's cover name for this mission. Katie's had been Eve. Katie's costume was a bit more bizarre to Faye though. Katie's hair had been turned a series of corckscrew curls as she wore a long blue teal dress with a rather large belt. On her right hip was a gun holster containing a futuristic-looking gun which also had her icer rounds in there. Underneath her dress was a pair of black tight yoga pants and topped off by black boots.

"So who's this character you're going as again?" 'Rene' asked, as they moved past a group of people dressed as the original Ghostbusters.

"River Song." Katie replied, "From _Doctor Who_."

"Riiiight." Faye sighed.

"Alright, guys." Arthur said quietly, over their hidden communicators, "It's almost time. You all go and check the upper floors. I'm going to find Alexander Tyrone."

"Roger." The others said.

…

 _ **Meanwhile…**_

Arthur stomped his way over to where Alexander Tyrone said he would be at the convention. Arthur's own costume made him feel really sweaty, but it was the only way he could carry a lot without being called out for it. His entire body was covered in a metal-like suit (although nothing like the Deathlok Program.) He wore a helmet which had a blue 'visor' that he could see out of. What no one guessed was that this also allowed him internal contact with the rest of the team. An old piece of Stark Hardware made for communication never used until now.

Arthur stood as a walking cosplayer of the original and best Robocop.

As he made his way over, he accidentally bumped into someone.

"Oh!" He said, "I'm so sorry!"

"No, it's alright." A female voice replied.

Arthur looked at the person he had bumped into. She was somewhere in her late 50's, but still had full blonde hair. She was dressed in a red and gold glittering Chinese dress and had a pet snake on a leash with her. A few years ago, Arthur would've wondered what this woman could've been dressed as, but after watching movies with Katie, he knew who she was supposed to be.

"Wow!" The woman exclaimed, "That's a great Robocop there."

"You know your stuff." Arthur nodded, "I see you're dressed as Willie Scott from _Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom_. Albeit a bit older, no offense. Let's just hope George Lucas doesn't see you and get another idea for ANOTHER Indy movie after part four."

"Wait!" The woman asked, surprised, "There was a fourth movie?!"

"I'd rather not talk about it." Arthur admitted, remembering the horrifying experience he had unintentionally subjected himself to when he watched it with Katie.

"Understood." She assured, "I saw the Robocop remake on demand and up until _Birdman_ thought that movie was the worst thing that Michael Keaton had done until he besmirched and betrayed the very genre he helped to define. I think the only reason he took the later role personally was to relieve the glory days."

"Yeah." Arthur nodded, "So, do you have permission to move that snake around?"

"Yes!" The woman nodded, "She's very docile. Trust me."

"Okay, just checking." Arthur said, "Well, I gotta get going. See you around."

"Take care!" The woman smiled, giving him a small wave.

Arthur walked forward and finally he found what he was looking for. Right there, was a booth with Alexander Tyrone sitting at the head of the table. Behind him were signs which read in large words 'HYDRA SECRETS REVEALED!' 'LEARN ABOUT THE SECRETS OF HYDRA!' and so on.

Good thing I got here when I did. Arthur thought, as the man looked at him surprised.

"Can I help you?" He asked.

"Alexander Tyrone?" Arthur asked, putting on his best Peter Weller Impersonation while adding a sense of sincere urgency to his performance, "Come with me quietly, or there will be trouble."

Alexander looked at him for a few seconds before giving a soft laugh. However, Arthur knew he had struck a cord and that Mr. Tyrone was hiding something.

"That's a good impersonation, I'll give you that…" He said, "But I really think you should save that for the cosplay contest…"

Suddenly, Arthur noticed something on the upper floors behind him. A lone person taking out a sniper rifle and pointing it towards them. Arthur knew that it wasn't for cosplay, and knew instantly who it was.

"GET DOWN!" He screamed.

Moving quickly, he pushed Alexander down as the sniper fired. Thankfully, the bullet missed, but Arthur was sure the guy wasn't going to allow them to miss again. Fortunately, above them, Arthur noticed Jessica (dressed in her Black Widow cosplay she had been provided with) run up, causing the sniper to take notice of her. Before he could fire, Jessica tackled him, and then socked him in the face once. Before anyone could ask what was happening, she stood up, and looked around at some of the people who had noticed them.

"It's okay!" She assured, "Just a cosplay skit! Nothing to be alarmed about…" She pretended to noice the man was out, "Oh, dear. I think I might've hit him a bit too hard. Here, let me get him some assistance."

With that, she placed the guy over her shoulder like a sack of potatoes and walked away with him. Knowing they were on-the-clock now, Arthur turned back to Alexander, helping him to his feet.

"I insist you come with me." Arthur said.

Alexander just nodded once. There was no need to tell him this twice. They walked down the hall past some Star Trek cosplayers and then ducked inside a storage room.

"You have some guts showing your face again after stealing HYDRA's secrets." Arthur complimented.

"About that…" The man said, nervously.

Arthur shot him a serious look.

"I…don't have the files anymore…" Alexander admitted.

"What?!" Arthur demanded, "But you said that you downloaded them from HYDRA…"

"I did!" Tyrone assured, "But I destroyed them at my house! I couldn't risk doing it there since HYDRA would most likely interrupt the deletion process!"

"Then why announce that you would be giving away secrets here?!" Arthur questioned.

"Because some crazy woman made me do it!" He said, "She was blonde, had a pet snake…"

Arthur's heart froze.

"By any chance was she around 50 or so?" Arthur asked.

"Yeah," He said, "She was a knockout for her age though. She was actually just at the con harassing me for the umpteenth time. Went cosplaying as some Indiana Jones character…"

Arthur quickly exited the room and called up his team.

"Guys!" He declared, "We've been played! Alexander doesn't have the secrets and I think I know who set him up to take it! Eve, Rene; to me! Tania; try to figure out where they are! Ask our friend!"

"And you, Han?" 'Tania' asked.

"In a second…" Arthur said, as Katie and Faye ran up to him.

"Keep him safe and take out the other two if you can." Arthur stated, "I'll be back."

Then without another word, he took off, running as fast as he could.

He moved past a number of cosplayers and then he saw her. The blonde woman from earlier chatting it up with some woman dressed as Princess Leia in her slave girl costume from Return of the Jedi as they took a selfie together.

As the cosplayer Arthur had met earlier handed back the camera to her friends, she suddenly took notice of Arthur who by now was feeling a little hot under the collar, and not from his costume. She realized how he must've been feeling because the next thing that happened was that she took off with Arthur giving chase.

While the crowds were large and tightly packed, Arthur kept sight of the woman and her pet snake on a leash. He kept on them like never before. There were many theories floating through his head as to whom this woman really was. One possibility was that she might be HYDRA, but then why not kill him or have her pet snake do the work? The second was that perhaps this woman was just a psychotic cosplayer, but Arthur shot that down too because someone from that background might not've had HYDRA intelligence at their disposal. The third was a possibility that seemed possible, but at the same time impossible. It was one Arthur had a sinking feeling about in his gut that had worried him ever since he learned of Katie's upbringing as an orphan.

…

 _ **Meanwhile…**_

Jessica had dragged the guy over to a nearby closet and held him by his neck against a wall.

"So where are the other two?!" She asked, punching him in the face, "WELL?!"

"In the parking lot underneath the convention…" The man said, weakly.

"What are they doing there?" Jessica demanded.

"Figured…best way to ensure we got Alexander…was to set up a bomb…"

"Screw my life…" Jessica swore, calling up the others, "GUYS! WE HAVE A BOMB UNDERNEATH US! That's where the other two are! We need to…"

Jessica suddenly began to feel dizzy and fell to her knees. The man took this opportune time to run out of the room.

Dammit! Not now! Jessica thought. She took her hidden knife out and chopped off one of the wooden planks holding a variety of cleaning items, causing it to all spill to the ground. Jessica tried to fight every urge in her body, but was unable to prevent herself from carving into the wood.

….

 _ **Soon, down below the convention garage…**_

"JESS!" Katie called, "JESS COME IN!"

Considering they were out of the ears of many people, they decided it was best for real names again.

Unfortunately, Jessica was not responding so it meant that it was down to Katie and Faye to stop this bomb from detonating and taking out the convention. They had gotten Alexander to the Spec-Ops plane they had secretly parked on the roof safe and sound, and now here they were, ready to stop another disaster from happening again.

All in a day's work. As usual.

Finally, after running for what seemed like forever, they came across the two men. They were standing over a large metal rectangle which had a keyboard and two handles to lift the cover off no doubt. One of them had gray hair and some well-defined features on his face, while the other had no hair on his head and had a goatee. Faye tackled one of them as Katie threw a punch towards the other. Unfortunately the guy was quick enough to grab her hand and then threw her to the far right. Katie groaned as she hit her head against a car tire and the gun went sliding out of her holster.

Fortunately, Katie was quick to notice a spare tire nearby her and quickly got it off the car. She then swatted the guy in the face with it, and then threw it right at his nose. She then proceeded to deliver a right hook to the guy's face followed by a hard jab to his right ribs. This was followed by a jab to his right ribs before she stepped back.

The man just looked at her and smiled. He elbowed her in the face, knocking her back into the car she had stolen the tire from, and sliding over the back of the vehicle before landing on the other side with a groan. Katie quickly noticed a nearby wrench someone must've left behind and grabbed it. She turned around, only to be met with a karate chop blow to her face. Katie swung back with the wrench hitting the guy in the face with it, and knocking him out.

She then raced over to the metal structure. Inside were three large wires. One red, one blue, and one green. Additionally, there were two small switches, one red button, and a large countdown clock which was already at 15 seconds. It was at times like this that Katie wished that she had someone here to give her encouraging advice.

However, she remembered her S.H.I.E.L.D. Training in how to disarm bombs, and knew that there was one wire that she had to cut. Of course, the only problem was knowing which one to cut.

Mentally cursing, she grabbed the red one, closed her eyes, and pulled it out. Looking back, she found with relief that she had disarmed the bomb with only 7 seconds remaining.

 _Huh._ Katie thought. _0:07. My lucky number._

Suddenly, Faye was thrown her way as she crashed into a car behind her. Looking back, Katie saw the other guy with gray hair standing tall as he cracked his knuckles.

 _Jesus Christ._ Katie said to herself, _What is this guy on?! Gamma AND Steroids?!_

Katie was about to rush the guy, when she realized that the guy's face had suddenly gone still and surprised. Slowly, the man fell revealing someone else behind him. He had orange hair and hints of beard stubble, and was dressed in a green coat and pants with brown loafers and a white buttoned down shirt.

"Sorry about that." He apologized, taking out a handkerchief and wiping the blood from his hands, "I came down here to let off some steam."

He looked over at Faye.

"Is she all right?" He asked.

Katie felt her friend's pulse.

"Seems fine." She answered, "Don't know about the bones thought."

"I can quickly check." The man offered, "I'm a Doctor."

"That's good." Katie replied, "Except the Doctors I work best with are usually Scottish, or wear fezzes, or bowties, and you have no idea what I'm saying do you?"

"Not at all." The man chuckled, feeling Faye's arms and legs, "Looks like your friend's all right."

"Good." Katie said, "So what were you doing down here?"

"Well, I was looking for a present when I accidently ran into you, Katie."

Katie's blood froze as she looked at the man surprised. Her mouth hung agape as he chuckled.

"Whoops." He laughed, "Forgot to add 'spoilers.'"

Katie instantly pointed her gun at him.

"Oh," He chided as if this were a joke, "Please! What are you going to do to me? I just punched a hole through the guy for god's sake!"

"Who are you?!" Katie demanded, "HYDRA?! Someone new?!"

"Well, I'd say the second one, except I knew you when you were born, Katie." The man laughed.

Now Katie was shocked.

"What?" She asked almost quietly.

"I was there to help deliver you to your mother." He continued, "Of course you were so young then, you probably don't even remember me."

"You…you knew my Mom?" Katie asked.

"I still know her." The man nodded, "She's still alive and wanted me to tell you happy birthday, by the way. Unfortunately, it's been a while since you've had any tests, so…"

With that, he stuck a needle in Katie's neck. Instantly, her vision darkened and she passed out.

….

 _ **Meanwhile, on the other side of the lot…**_

Arthur ran as fast as his legs could carry him. He was following this woman now and he almost had her. Suddenly, the woman tripped and Arthur pointed his gun on the snake.

"Try anything," Arthur warned, "And I'll shoot your snake faster than you can move."

The woman nodded.

"I noticed the way you kept that snake with you no matter what." Arthur pointed out, "And I'm guessing you have a special bondage to that creature."

The woman got up and held her hands above her head.

"Now turn around." Arthur demanded.

She did so.

"Now who the hell are you?!" He questioned.

"You can call me 'Princess.'" The woman said.

"Why did you lure Alexander Tyrone out here?"

"Two reasons." She replied, "One was that I knew it would attract you. Second was that I'd gotten back from Nepal and wanted to show off this amazing dress I got there."

"You think this is a joke?!" Arthur demanded.

"It is." She said, "Because you should know who I am. If you are as good as I've heard."

"And just who are you exactly?!" Arthur demanded.

"I'm the woman who gave birth to that girl you've had as your protégé." She explained, "I'm Katie's mother. Her REAL mother."

She looked over his shoulder and smiled.

"Doc." She said.

"STOP FOCUSING ON WHAT'S AROUND YOU AND PAY ATTENTION!" Arthur demanded.

"No." Princess giggled, "I mean, my Doctor."

Arthur turned around only to be punched into the ground by a man with orange hair dressed as an ordinary-looking person.

"Did you remember to leave a present for my little Katie?" Princess asked.

"You bet I did." He replied, "I even used that card you filled out. Oh! Do you think you could tell me where I can get something like that for my daughter?"

"Probably…" Princess replied, as they left the area, "Now come on, we need to get moving now."

….

 _ **Later…**_

Katie was the first to come to when she heard Jessica screaming in her ear. The next thing she realized was that there had been something else slipped inside her holster. Taking it out, she saw it was an envelope. Cautiously opening it, she saw it wasn't a bomb.

But when she turned it around, it might as well have been. There was a birthday card with a photo of Katie on it in Civilian clothing. Probably taken from sometime before she joined S.H.I.E.L.D. In front of the photo were the words _'To a wonderful daughter.'_

Opening it, Katie found one hundred unmarked dollars inside along with a brief note.

' _My dearest daughter,_

 _You bring me the joy and strength I need to move on every day._

 _Though at times we might seem miles apart from each other, know I will always be your mother. And I will always love you. No matter what._

 _Thank you for being such a wonderful inspiration in my life._

 _Love,_

 _Mom.'_

Katie almost felt nauseous. The man who had put her to sleep earlier had claimed he was the Doctor who had helped her mother give birth to her. Now here she was, with the first actual living proof that her mother was still alive, and that she possibly knew her true identity. She had a sinking feeling in her chest and she had every reason to believe that it wouldn't be going away anytime soon.

"KATIE!"

Jessica's voice suddenly brought her back to full awareness, as she retrieved her gun and put the letter inside the barrel to hide it.

"Katie! Are you all right?!"

"I'm fine, Jessica. What's up?"

"You need to get to the front entrance right away…"

Faye groaned getting up, as Katie helped her to her feet. Suddenly, Arthur joined her.

"What happened?!" Arthur demanded, "Are you all right?!"

Katie was quiet for a brief moment. She was wondering if she should tell Arthur about what had happened. That she now had solid proof her mother was still out there, and more than likely aware where Katie was. Katie thought about it, but realized Arthur would be in even more stress about it if he found out now, when they were dealing with so much now. So instead, she nodded.

"Yeah." She lied, "We're fine. You?"

Arthur wondered about telling Katie the truth. That he had met her mother who was alive and well, but was also a psychopath. Ever since Katie had begun working with him, Arthur felt as though the two had practically been family. But now, he knew Katie had a mother who was alive and well, but also no doubt a cruel killer and bully who wanted nothing more than to hurt others to get her daughter back. But Arthur couldn't bring himself to tell her that. Given what had happened to her at this point, Katie might try to deny it, or perhaps even do something as insane as go after her.

So instead, Arthur nodded back to her.

"I'm fine." He said.

"Come on." Katie declared, "We need to get out of here."

The group ran outside as Katie led the way to the entrance.

"Jess said there was something going on outside…" She elaborated, "I don't know…"

She stopped when she saw Jess standing in front of a crime scene. There were police officers standing around two dead bodies. Arthur was quick to notice that they had been shot. The two were a man and a woman with tanned skin, wearing business suits, and both had wedding rings on.

Jess noticed them and they all walked back inside.

"It was HYDRA." She whispered, as they quickly made their way to the roof, "I passed out briefly but when I came to, I heard a commotion coming on from outside. I saw they had a young woman who they were loading into a van. I almost shot at them, but I couldn't because I realized that if I did, it might've hit someone else with the way everyone was moving.

Arthur was silent. He knew Jess had done the right thing, but he knew why she had blacked out in the first place.

….

 _ **Later, The Playground…**_

While the mission had gone badly, they did manage to get some good things out of the experience. While Alexander Tyler had deleted all the information, he had retained some of the details in his mind from HYDRA's database including one recruit who was worthy of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s attention; Roger James Smith. Roger Smith was a former crime boss whose Father had been working as a HYDRA Head. Shortly after the collapse of S.H.I.E.L.D., Roger's father had been found dead on a garbage barge riding along the East River. Thanks to some intel from Phil's team (provided by Coulson's undercover agent, Bobbi Morse,) they confirmed that Roger had taken his late father's place as a HYDRA head, and after some more research, Arthur finally had something worthwhile.

"We now know what his main goal is." Arthur stated.

Phil raised an eyebrow.

"Thanks to Bobbi and my extra digging, I know what it is that makes the young Mr. Smith tick." Arthur continued, tapping some things on his iPad-like device and pulling up an image of Nick Jones and another person. The other person was somewhere in his 40's with brown hair and scars from his apparent run-in with a certain former S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent.

"Nick Jones was the one who put Senior Mr. Smith's son in jail." Arthur elaborated, "He used to run a crime family called 'The Tyrants' until Nick Jones put him away. He was let loose a couple of weeks before S.H.I.E.L.D.'s collapse, but now it seems he's inherited Daddy dearest's throne."

He pressed some more buttons and images of cell phone satellites surrounding the Earth appeared.

"Since then." Arthur continued, "He's been apparently using major HYDRA Powers to try and track one person."

"Nick Jones." Coulson finished.

"Exactly." Arthur smiled, "We follow him, we find Nick, nail this guy, and he could possibly lead us to other bigger HYDRA threats."

"Well done, Agent Williams." Phil smiled, "Just one thing."

Arthur looked at him confused.

"How's Jessica doing?"

….

 _ **Soon…**_

Jessica looked up when she heard the door open. She saw Arthur standing over her.

"I'm sorry." She apologized, "I couldn't control it."

She looked at him seriously.

"I can't do it now, Arthur." She admitted, "I can't be in the field anymore if this is as bad as it's getting."

"Understood." Arthur said, "Which is why until we can find a cure for you, I'm sorry to report that we'll have to pull you from the team."

Jessica nodded.

"We fortunately already found a replacement, but until then, I need you to try and not go nuts completely, okay?"

"Understood." She nodded.

Arthur was about to leave, when Jessica called out to him.

"Arthur?" She asked, "What the hell do you think HYDRA wanted with that young woman?"

Arthur sighed and looked back at her.

"I don't know, Jess." He admitted, "But I have some nasty suspicions. But I'd rather not think about them right now.

….

 _ **Meanwhile, an Unknown HYDRA Facility…**_

Roger Smith watched as the young girl was forced into a torture-like device. Her arms were suspended and stretched outwards, and her eyes were forced open with some kind of metal clothespins attatched to some thin wires, while her head was forced to look at a TV Screen in front of her. Her legs were also held in place to prevent her from escaping, making any kind of resistance null and void.

"Mr. Smith." A voice called.

He turned around to see a man with somewhat white hair dressed in a fine business suit with round glasses walking up to him.

"Dr. Whitehall." He replied.

"I'm glad to see you are taking a break from tracking your old nemesis to focus on creating someone you can easily deploy."

"Yeah." Roger replied, "Well, since I've heard so much about this Arthur Williams guy from the other HYDRA members, I figured I'd create someone who I can deploy in the way he did for a young woman that now works for his team."

Whitehall studied the young woman in the machine. She was around 18, with tan skin and an athletic build who seemed to be squirming in fear and pain as best she could with the way she was currently positioned. She had long dark red hair, and green glittering eyes.

"And whom might this be?" Whitehill asked.

"Her name is Maya Katrina." Roger answered, "Took some classes that we can apply to her conditioning including ballet and gymnastics, and also took some self-defense lessons."

"And what is it that you hope to program her to become, Mr. Smith?"

Roger looked at him.

"I plan to brainwash her to make her forget about her family." Roger explained, "When she wakes up, it'll be to her as if she never had a family. She'll have been orphaned at a young age by her family who never wanted a daughter, until HYDRA recruited her and trained her to be the woman she is now. We will tell her she was on a special mission when she was knocked unconscious and then we managed to revive her here."

"I see…" Whitehall explained, "Fascinating idea, Mr. Smith. Just make sure you remember; discovery requires experimentation. Bear in mind that you might have to tweak her memories a bit before you get what you desire."

"I only desire to get back at Nick Jones for what he did." Roger declared, "But I have to be prepared for if someone from S.H.I.E.L.D. arrives at my doorstep."

"Our doorstep." Whitehall corrected.

"Of course." Roger replied, sarcastically, "Hail HYDRA."

"Hail HYDRA." Whitehall said, before leaving.

Roger made sure everything was connected with the scientists before he addressed Maya.

"Are you ready to begin?" He asked.

"Go the hell!" She spat.

"You might think differently when we're done with you." He said, leaving. He nodded to the scientists as they started up the machine.

Suddenly, an image of some wavy lines moving across the screen. Maya tried to fight it, but eventually, she became weak and felt herself dropping into a deep sleep.

"Take a deep breath. Calm your mind... Compliance will be rewarded." A voice told her.

Maya wanted to fight it. She wanted to kick and scream and do everything to resist, but was too weak to do so. Instead she obeyed.

She then felt empty for some reason. Who was she again?

Then she remembered, her parents disgusted at the fact of wanting a girl instead of a boy.

Putting her up for adoption and being teased by all other girls.

Roger Smith arriving to adopt her.

The years training in HYDRA. The lessons and skills she learned. Feeling like she belonged here more than anything else.

Her many kills. The numbers that ranked up there with some of HYDRA's best killers.

Finally, she awoke and fell into the arms of Roger Smith.

"Maya." He said, "Are you all right? Do you remember me?"

She smiled.

"Of course." She said, "How could I forget the man who saved me from a miserable life? What happened to me?"

"You were in an accident and we saved you." He said, "I'm just making sure that your memories are still intact."

She sighed, and he could tell it was with regret.

"I appreciate everything, Roger." She said, "But you know how I am with my memories. Better to forget than remember."

He smiled.

"Good to hear." He said, "Now let's talk about getting you re-evaluated so we can have you back in the field for your next mission..."

...

 _ **Meanwhile, The Playground...**_

Katie threw the letter and money into a drawer in her room and slammed it shut. She then got on her bed, and cried herself away.

She had only felt this way only once before and it was when she thought Arthur had been shot by his own mother. Back then, Katie felt that Arthur was the only one person who understood her, the only real family she ever had. He had practically brought her up from nothing in a way the orphanage she lived at never could. But now, she knew her mother was still out there. Her REAL mother. But as it turned out, she was a complete psychopath by the looks of the man she was hanging out with. Worse, Katie had a bad feeling that the money she had gotten hadn't been obtained by any legal means.

Katie knew she should bring this imminently to Arthur and Coulson, but feared she couldn't because of the fact that there'd be LOTS of questions that she still didn't have all the answers to.

"Katie?"

Katie looked up to see Skye standing in the doorway. She mentally slapped herself for not closing it.

"How long were you watching?" She asked.

"I just saw you there as you were." Skye admitted, "Mind if I hang around? It seems you could use someone."

"Sure." Katie said, sniffing as she sat up and allowed Skye to sit next to her.

"How's everything with your team?" She asked.

"As can be expected." Skye admitted.

She looked at Katie seriously.

"What's wrong?" She asked.

"Skye..." Katie sighed, trying to put these into terms as best she could, "You know how you've been looking for your parents your whole life? Let's say theoretically, Ward's crazy stories about you being from a line of killers was true. How would you respond to that?"

Skye thought for a minute and then shrugged.

"Well..." She said, "For one thing, Ward's crazy..."

"But let's say he was telling the truth." Katie insisted, "Would you still stand with us, or would you embrace the killer?"

"Truth be told." Skye admitted, "I don't know what I'd do. I think I'd try and run from my destiny though. Stay with my team, no matter what."

Katie nodded.

"Thanks." She said.

"Why did you ask?" Skye questioned.

"Oh!" Katie responded, improvising quickly, "I uh...I read this 'choose your own adventure book' and I really didn't like the way my choices played out."

"Really?" Skye asked.

"I'm more of an old-school person, remember?" Katie asked.

"That's true." Skye nodded with a small laugh.

...

 _ **Meanwhile, San Diego Airport...**_

"You know for my first convention, that was pretty good." Cal said, looking at a little gift basket of things he had gotten from the convention which included a little brochure of the floor plan, a couple of free posters featuring various TV shows, and miscellaneous free masks for some movie being made about The Avengers.

Princess just kept quiet as she held the cage containing her pet python.

Cal suddenly noticed her and shook her arm gently.

"You all right?" He asked.

"I am..." She said, "It's just...that Arthur Williams...he turned my baby girl into a killing machine, you said."

"His boss did the same to my daughter too." Cal reminded, as they boarded their plane, "But we have to stay strong. Katie's perfectly healthy and I'm sure my daughter is too. We just have to wait for the right moment to introduce ourselves."

They put their things into the plane's overhead compartments as Cal took a middle seat and Princess took the aisle seat.

"You know what?" He said, "We should try to bring our daughters here after we've reunited with them. Oh, and do a movie night! Oh! And plan for..."

Princess put a hand on Cal's hand, telling him to quiet which he did.

"Cal..." She smiled, "We'll have plenty of time for that later. But right now, we just have to stay focused."

"Right." Cal replied, nodding his head, "My apologies."

Princess leaned next to him.

"You're a good friend, Cal." She admitted, "I'd be going stir-crazy if not for you. Whatever happens next is what it is. No matter what, I'll stand by you no matter what. You know why?"

Cal was confused, so Princess leaned over and hugged him. He was taken off-guard, but quickly returned the hug.

"Because you're my best friend." She answered.

"Thanks." He said.

That's when they heard laughing and saw some punk-looking snickering at them from across their aisle. Cal went to get them, but Princess held him back.

"I got this." She assured.

She got up and looked in the overhead compartment. She opened a pouch with some liquid inside and pretended to accidently flick it into the face of the kids who had laughed at them. They looked upset at first, but then suddenly started gasping in pain quietly before passing out completely. Thankfully, their seatbelts were fastened, so Princess wouldn't have to worry about having an attendant telling them to do so and discovering they were dead by a toxin considered harmful to younger people like them.

As an attendant came by, Princess motioned to them for a second and they leaned in.

"Don't wake my friends over there." She smiled politely, indicating the unconscious teens, "They're just dead tired. Okay?"

"Okay." The attendant smiled, and left.

Cal smiled at Princess, and she smiled back, preparing for the flight back home.

 **TO BE CONTINUED…**

 **So there you go, everyone! Hoped you enjoyed this little chapter. It seems Arthur and his team have a lead, but now HYDRA's gained a new ally in the form of Maya, my own OC. Trust me when I say there's going to be more of her next chapter and the following. Next time, Arthur, Katie, Bruce, and Sabrina infiltrate the guest party alongside Coulson and May in the events of** _ **Face My Enemy**_ **while Roger gets Maya ready to strike. And in the mist of this whole thing, a new member joins Arthur's team and Tyler has a reunion of sorts. Hope you'll join me again then. Please remember to review. As always I own NOTHING but my OC's. This is for FAN-purpopses only, so PLEASE don't sue! Thanks!**


	4. Turn and Face the Strange

**Hi, everyone! Welcome back to the Spec Ops Team 2. First off, let me apologize for the amount of time it took me to get this chapter up. I had a problem with my computer and lost all my files as a result. From there, it was just a matter of rewriting the stuff and dealing with work and down-time for myself. Luckily, I'm back like Arnold Schwarzenegger now and ready with this chapter. I had to also change a few things, but I hope you really enjoy this. Anyways, this chapter will see the team try a new tactic as HYDRA prepares their own new recruit to deploy into the field. Plus, we'll meet a new OC, who I have to thank scrawlx1012 for, who will now be a part of Arthur's team. As always, reviews are appreciated. Also, I own NOTHING but my OC's. This is for fan-purposes only, so PLEASE don't sue! Other than that, enjoy! (A/N: there was a spelling mistake this chapter that I fixed. Sorry about that.)**

 _ **The Playground…**_

Arthur and Katie watched as a black jeep pulled up into the compound. As AJ exited from the driver's seat, the passenger exited the vehicle and walked around so Katie and Arthur could greet him. He was a bald African American man with hazel eyes, and a clean shaven face. He stood at around 6'3 and Katie was quick to notice he had a tattoo on his right bicep which read 'blood is thicker than water.'

"Desmond Amartey." Arthur stated, "Thank you for finally taking us up on our offer. This is my young protégé, Katie Sheila."

"How do you do?" Katie asked, shaking his hand.

"Alright, I guess." He stated, "Still can't believe I'm actually joining up. It's just…when I heard about what happened…when I heard about my cousin's betrayal…what he was planning to allow to happen… I couldn't have that happen again."

"Sorry about that, by the way." Katie apologized.

"It's fine." Desmond assured, "Truth be told, if I were in that situation…well…I might've tried to find a way that didn't injure him so badly, but you were under pressure then, so I understand."

He looked at Arthur.

"Before we begin." He said, "Can I see him?"

…

 _ **Soon…**_

"Tyler."

Tyler turned around to see his cousin standing before his invisible force-field cell.

"Desmond." Tyler said, nonchalantly, "Why am I not surprised to see you here?"

"What the hell were you thinking, Ty?" Desmond asked, pulling up a nearby chair and sitting down, "Get yourself involved in HYDRA, you almost destroy the world…how did you think it would end? What about your mother, Tyler?!"

Tyler looked up at him surprised.

"Why do you think I asked she stay single and alone for years?" He asked, "I was protecting her! Getting her away from anybody who could hurt her!"

"And that sure turned out well for you!" Desmond replied, sarcastically, "You're missing a whole arm now as a result!"

He shook his head at the ground.

"Besides," He added, "Your Mom found out anyways."

Tyler looked up at his cousin horrified.

"What?" He asked.

"S.H.I.E.L.D. … or what's left of it now, told your Mom what happened, Tyler." Desmond elaborated, "You know what she did first? She almost ended up slitting her wrists in shame when she learned you were actually willing to let a majority of the world's population die just so you could get even with a man years after he did something to you."

Tyler's look of horror turned to one of anger.

"Did Arthur tell her this?" He asked.

"No." Desmond said, sternly, "I told her. S.H.I.E.L.D. came to me for recruitment. They told me about what you did, and so I personally went to your Mother to deliver the news personally to try and not let the blow be even more devastating. Clearly I was wrong. You were everything to her, Ty. Even after you left, you were always the thing that got her through each day without your father."

Tyler glared at him.

"I can see you're beyond help." Desmond stated.

"Oh, no." Tyler corrected, "When I get out of here, I'm going to fix everything that's gone wrong with me."

"Tyler…" Desmond groaned, annoyed.

"No." Tyler stated, angrily, as he pressed his one hand against the invisible force-field, "Me and my roommate know how we're getting out. We're just not ready yet."

"Yeah, sure." Desmond said, sarcastically, "Well, get some sleep over it, Tyler. I hope we can work things out in the future."

….

 _ **Later, Jessica's Room…**_

Jessica gasped as she snapped out of her daze. She had been drawing the strange symbols nonstop now, and it looked to be only getting worse as time went on. She had abandoned all hope on a cure long ago. It was apparent that whatever happened could not be removed by any normal means. She feared it was only going to end badly for her. From what she understood, John Garrett had the same thing happen to him, only he embraced the madness and it ultimately lead to his quick death at the hands of Phil Coulson.

That seemed like the only way out at this point.

Suddenly, she heard a knock at her door. Quickly gathering the pages she had been drawing and placing them on her bed, she answered the door. Standing there was a tall bald African American man wearing a long sleeve T-Shirt and blue jeans.

"Hello." He said, "You must be Jessica Smith. I'm Desmond Amartey."

"Hi." She said, nervously shaking his hand, "It's nice to meet you."

"Mind if I step inside?" He asked.

"Sure." Jessica nodded.

Desmond walked in, and instantly saw the drawings on the bed and motioned to them.

"Arthur told me about your…problem." He pointed out, "You mind if I take a look."

"Go right ahead." Jessica sighed.

Desmond picked up the pages and looked at them. He seemed intrigued as he viewed each page.

"So you have been doing this ever since your recovery from the incident with Professor Jenkins, correct?" He asked.

"I'm sorry." Jessica apologized, "Why are you doing this?"

"Look." Desmond said, "I read all about what's happened to you. I think you need someone you can trust on this team…and I'd actually like to be that guy seeing as how my cousin doesn't trust me anymore."

Jessica looked at him seriously.

"Then I need you to do something for me." She whispered, "I don't want to end up going crazy. So if I snap at any point, and I'm begging to be let go…I need you to kill me."

Desmond eyed her seriously.

He was about to say something when there was an announcement over the speakers.

"Attention All S.H.I.E.L.D. Personnel on Arthur William's team." The voice called, "Please make your way to Agent William's office for an important briefing."

Desmond looked at Jessica with eyes of regret.

"We'll discuss this later." He said.

…

 **S** _ **oon, Arthur William's Office…**_

Once his team had been assembled, Arthur looked over everyone.

"Okay." He said, "Now that we're all here, we can begin."

He pulled out an iPad-like device and pressed a few buttons as an image of a young tan girl with dark red hair appeared on the screen behind him.

"Recently," Arthur stated, "During our last assignment at San Diego Comic Con, a young girl went missing. Her name is Maya Katrina, an 18 Year Old with a perfect childhood and parents who could support her. Until that is, HYDRA kills both of them and drags Ms. Katrina away."

He pressed a few buttons again and an image appeared of a logo featuring a flowerbed.

"We just found out that HYDRA has gotten another front for themselves; Sally Knolls All-Girls School. It's a school that recruits girls off of the streets and helps educate them to get them out of poverty and making them successful in life. It seems like HYDRA's been trying to mimic what I did for Katie. This school has existed before, obviously. But until HYDRA got ownership of it, the amount of girl's they've have has never been this high."

"Question?" Rose asked, "How do you know that HYDRA's been getting these girls rounded up into this school?"

"It's classified." Arthur stated, "Plus, we have this proof that it's HYDRA."

He pressed another button and a commercial for the school began playing. Arthur fast-forwarded through the video until they were at a point where a bunch of girls were doing exercises. Arthur paused and zoomed in on one of the girls in the background who was jogging. It was then that everyone could clearly see the woman was indeed Maya Katrina. It was a bit fuzzy, but the picture matched that of the person who was in the video.

"If she's in there." Arthur stated, "There's a big chance that HYDRA has something big planned for everyone else as well."

He turned the screen off and pulled out four brown envelope folders.

"We researched upcoming events for the school and discovered they have a charity event planned for tomorrow night. Fortunately, I was able to secure some spots, so I will be taking Bruce, Sabrina, and Katie to infiltrate the place. Katie will serve as Bruce's stepdaughter, and Sabrina will serve as my daughter."

"What?!" Bruce and Sabrina asked, simultaneously.

Arthur looked at them seriously.

"The last time we went in." He explained, "I think we made the mistake of being paired with people we know best. We need to start adapting to throw HYDRA off their game. Our basic plan is simple, but I need to know if I can trust you two to get through this."

The two looked at each other and though they looked uncomfortable, they both knew they had to do it.

"All right, Arthur." Bruce said.

"Okay." He replied, handing them their brown envelopes, "Review everything in the packets and be ready for tomorrow…"

….

 _ **Later, Sally Knolls All-Girls School Fundraising Event, Miami, Florida…**_

Arthur stepped out of the white limousine wearing a navy blue wool tuxedo jacket and pants with a white buttoned down shirt and black bowtie. On his feet were a pair of black Oxfords shoes and he wore the recent-S.H.I.E.L.D. Standard communications glasses adapted from the Deathlok program files they recovered from the HYDRA incident a few months back. He looked back as Sabrina exited the car, wearing the same glasses, but dressed in a long golden dress and high-heels. Arthur showed his fake credentials to the Valet, who approved and let them inside.

"So…" Arthur whispered to Sabrina.

"So?" Sabrina whispered back.

"You know after this, it's the weekend, correct?"

"Yeah? What about it?" Sabrina asked.

"I was figuring, you know, I'd let you take the night off with Bruce." Arthur stated, as they entered the building, "You two barely seem to be doing anything outside of the lab anymore, so I thought I'd give you the opportunity to do something else."

"Really?" She asked.

"Had anything in mind?" Arthur asked.

Sabrina thought for a minute.

"There's a nice little fancy restaurant a few blocks away from the base." Sabrina explained, "It's the basic fancy steak dinner with some seafood on the side, but I heard it's very quaint and romantic."

"And sorry for asking, but what kind of drink would you have with him?" Arthur asked.

She looked at him surprised.

"Again, just curious to make sure you and him won't be having any funny business." He assured.

"I heard they have a very nice sparkling white wine that I'd be interested in trying." She answered, as they entered the ballroom. They could see it was packed with thousands of people. Some were parents, some were daughters, and others seemed to be big business owners who wouldn't surprise Arthur if he found they were funding HYDRA just like the Hammer CEO's had tried to with his Mom. There was also a stage with a live band playing a quick jazz tune as some of the guests were dancing around on the dance floor. However, the two were quick to notice Bruce and Katie already on the dance floor. Katie was wearing a black gown and heels while Bruce wore a red velvet suit and tie with brown loafers. The two were moving around the room, twirling, dipping, and briefly spinning around on their own for a while, until they came back to each other. However, Arthur knew what they were really up to. Bruce had recently developed a new hidden device which he could tell Katie was placing on the left and right of the walls, since twice while dancing, he noticed that she went over to the far left and right walls, and was placing her palms tightly against there before coming back to Bruce. These hidden machines would soon take scans across from each other using a sonar-detecting technology which would cover every sound from within the building and capture it within the lenses, giving them all a full blueprint of the building which they could view from their glasses. Finally, the song ended, and everyone applauded.

"Ah!" A voice called out, "Mr. Howard!"

He and Sabrina turned to see a middle-aged woman with greying black hair wearing a bright pink business suit approach them.

"I assume you're Mr. Benjamin Howard, correct?"

"I am." Arthur lied, "This is my young daughter, Bonnie."

"Charmed to meet you." She said, shaking Sabrina's hand, "I'm Sally Knolls, the founder of this school. I was surprised to see you fund at the last minute. But very few get invitations at this time for donating that amount of money."

"Oh," Arthur said, "It was nothing. It was just something that got lost in the mail of my computer, and I found recently. I decided it's important to invest in our children's future and thus, here I am today."

"Well," Knolls replied, looking over the both of them, "I promise tonight we're going to show everyone how much their money has paid off."

"Thank you." Arthur stated, "I hope that this money truly does pay off as much as you say it will."

With that, Sally left as Arthur leaned into Sabrina.

"Okay," He said, "Time to liven things up. Follow Sally, but don't let her know you're following her."

Sabrina nodded and left. As she did, a nearby waiter walked up next to Arthur.

"Something to drink, sir?" He asked.

"Yes." He nodded, "I'll have a martini. Gin, not vodka, obviously. Stirred for 10 seconds, and my daughter just went to use the bathroom, but she'll have a Screaming Eagle Cabernet Sauvignon Red Wine, thank you."

….

 _ **Meanwhile…**_

Sabrina followed Sally closely. She saw her turn a corner and then briefly it looked as if she was going to spot Sabrina from where she was standing, so Sabrina ducked a corner and held her breath. She waited a few minutes before turning back to see the women's bathroom door close, so she got up and cautiously went over to the bathroom. Opening it, she was surprised to find nobody was inside.

However, she was then equally taken off-guard when a pair of fists slammed into the back of her neck, and Sabrina suddenly went down unconscious.

…...

 _ **Later…**_

Maya exited the storage closet, having made sure it was firmly locked. She had taken Sabrina's clothes and gear from her, so it would be impossible for the young S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent to escape. The suit looked kind of funny on her, but then she activated the holo-mesh that HYDRA had supplied her with, and within a few seconds Maya had morphed into the exact duplicate of Sabrina.

Making sure she had her hidden weapons ready, Maya walked away and back into the main ballroom until she found Arthur Williams, drinking a Martini.

"Arthur." She said, imitating Sabrina's voice perfectly, "We have to talk. Now."

"Nonsense." Arthur said, handing her a red wine, "I already ordered your red wine. After all, it's your favorite."

Maya looked at the glass, and took a drink, giving an approving smile.

"Thank you." She said.

"It is your favorite after all." Arthur pointed out.

"That it is." Maya replied, playing along, "Now can we please talk in private?"

Arthur nodded and got up to go around the back with her. Maya had been briefed on the guy by Roger before they arrived. Arthur was the best man of S.H.I.E.L.D. and thus, Roger wanted him out of the game. They planned this party though while they had been training young girls, their training had been done in secret. They had been watching videos on proper etiquettes and the like, but hidden within the videos were a number of secret messages hidden within the videos to teach them how to become proper HYDRA Agents. Tonight, there would be a song playing with a hidden subliminal message underneath the music. When that song began, it would activate a trigger word within the young girls and they would murder everyone in the room, completing their HYDRA training. However, Maya had been instructed to lure some of Arthur's lower teammates into separate areas and pick them off one-by-one until Arthur was left and then she could kill him personally.

As much as she wanted to stab him in the jugular now and be done with it, she knew it would draw too much attention, and HYDRA didn't need that now.

Finally, they stood outside, and Arthur looked at her seriously.

"Okay." He asked, "What is it?"

"I've found out what HYDRA's been doing." She said, "They've constructed some kind of hypnosis signal that they're going to use to brainwash the girls so that they'll be killing the guests."

"Damn." Arthur swore.

"It gets worst." Maya continued, "I overheard Sally talking about there being mechanical security upstairs along with pleanty of guards. I think I'm going to need Bruce and Katie on this one. Think you can distract them long enough for us to get up there?"

"I think I can." Arthur said, "Okay, you wait up there. I'll contact Bruce and Katie and let them know what's going on."

Maya nodded and went back inside to head upstairs. Once gone, Arthur began sending out an encrypted signal.

…

 _ **Later, in the supply closet…**_

Sabrina worked quickly, to try and rig up her escape plan. She had woken up in this place a little while ago, only to discover that her clothes and her gadgets had been stolen. Furthermore, she found to her dismay that whoever had taken her belongings had made sure to lock the door, trapping the both of them inside. Fortunately, she had remembered coming up with an idea back in the Academy in an emergency should she ever find herself in this situation. She was surprised she actually was using this now, as she thought that a time might've never come where she could put this experiment to good use.

She had managed to unscrew the lightbulb above and had fortunately found a lightbulb which would have a higher wattage than the one she had removed. Additionally, she had found a simple aerosol can. Sabrina was simply going to overload the light and start a small electrical fire, then use the aerosol can to burn a hole through the door to make her escape.

Seeing as how everything was set, she screwed in the lightbulb and waited a few minutes. Soon, the light burst and a stream of flame was released. Sabrina sprayed the aerosol can and a large flame struck the door, blowing it off its hinges. Sabrina quickly exited and found a nearby fire extinguisher.

Wasting no time, she quickly used it to put out the fires, and then put the door back on its hinges once she was certain there was no more fire left behind.

With that done, Sabrina raced upstairs. It was her best guess as to find whoever kidnapped her, since she knew it was reserved for special guests only.

….

 _ **Soon…**_

Maya watched as Katie Sheila came up the stairs. However, she was surprised when no one was with her.

"What happened?" Maya asked, "Where's Bruce?"

"He got kidnapped." Katie replied, "Set off a small device downstairs that alerted all the HYDRA guards here." Katie explained.

Maya was confused as they had deliberately left the hallway upstairs more vulnerable for her to pick off Katie and Bruce easier. She knew there was something else Katie wasn't telling her, but played along with it for the time being.

"Okay." She said, "I'll lead the way."

With that, Maya directed Katie to the entrance to the room where the computer was in. Katie stepped forward and planted some kind of device on the keypad which covered it completely. Taking out her phone, Katie began typing away, as Maya saw the door was beginning to unlock itself.

Realizing this was going to be her best shot at taking Katie down, Maya crept forward silently, feeling ready for anything.

"By the way," Katie asked, as the next part of the code was unlocked, "I understand you and Bruce are getting ready to take your relationship to the next level."

"Yeah." Maya lied.

"So I take it you'll be going out to that little pizza place a few blocks away from the base." Katie assumed, as the final code was entered.

"Yes." Maya lied, "Just the two of us alone and together."

Katie smiled, as Maya made her move. However, before she could attack, Katie spun around as if she had known the whole time what Maya had been planning and slapped her in the face, sending her staggering back a bit.

"Except Sabrina hates Pizza." Katie corrected, "Oh, and Arthur wanted me to let you know; Sabrina also enjoys sparkling white wine. Not red."

Maya tried to raise communications, but Katie simply got her wristwatch and activated the small EMP which disabled any communications. Unfortunately, that meant Katie couldn't communicate with anyone else either, but she had a feeling she could take this imposter out and get back in time.

The imposter looked at Katie with a snarl unlike anything she had seen before. Without warning, she lunged herself forward, tackling Katie and sending them both into the control room. It was full of machines with little film reels inside and at the back of the room was a large keyboard attached to a large monitor. Before Katie had time to react, Maya got on top of her and pressed her thumbs deep on Katie's neck. Katie gasped as Maya leaned down to look at her with a sadistic grin on her face.

"I always wanted to kill you, you little bitch." Maya admitted, "Although truth be told, we're more alike than you think."

Katie responded by pushing her upper body forward with as much strength, grabbing the imposter's arms and then as quickly as she could, she dropped back down, the S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent threw the Sabrina imposter off her, quickly getting her bearings.

"What the hell are you talking about?!" Katie demanded, "I've never met you before!"

"No." The Imposter Sabrina admitted, "But we're both on the same coin. The only difference being is that you found a family sooner. I had to wait many years before I had something close to one!"

With that, she threw a punch at Katie who dodged, and side-stepped behind her. Katie slammed her elbows into the imposter, causing her to crash head-first into one of the machines with the film reels inside. With her opponent distracted, Katie got behind her and held both of her foe's arms behind her back.

"STAND. DOWN." Katie demanded, "Whatever's gone wrong with you, maybe I can help!"

The imposter responded with a kick to Katie's kneecaps and then head-butted her from behind. Katie staggered back which allowed the imposter enough room to slip free and deliver another head-butt. Looking at the broken machine, the imposter took some of the film reel out and then quickly wrapped it around Katie's neck, as began to continue choking the life out of her.

Katie gasped, her mind racing quickly for ideas on how to get out of there. She then realized that in order to beat her enemy, she would need to first catch her off-guard, then find a way to KO her quickly and efficiently, and therefore, would have to use anything in the environment to pull it off. Katie then saw not far away from where they were, was the broken door. Apparently, in their battle, one of the wires had come out, and was sparking electricity not far away from Katie's leg.

Focusing as much as she could, Katie used all of her might to stretch her foot out. Her vision was getting blurry, but she couldn't die.

Groaning as the imposter was focused on her face, Katie managed to get her foot on the wire, and then quickly brought it back to her. Katie then did something unexpected and bit down on the imposter's hand. She needed a quick distraction and this worked perfectly, as the imposter howled in pain and let go of her. With her enemy confused, Katie slammed the wire into her foe who screamed as millions of jolts were sent through her body. Taking the opportunity while her foe was distracted, Katie delivered a hard punch to the face, and the imposter Sabrina went down.

 _Flawless Victory._ Katie thought to herself.

With that, she looked at the imposter and gasped. She suddenly realized that the imposter had been wearing one of the holo-meshes S.H.I.E.L.D. had, and it had morphed back into the form of Maya Katrina.

"Shit." Katie swore.

Focusing back at the mission at hand, Katie went over to the computer, and inserted her de-crypter drive. Soon, the computer was open to her, and she quickly searched through the files for anything to shut down this little signal. Unfortunately, when she did find the information on the signal, all she got was a countdown timer which could not be stopped.

"Great." She said, sarcastically, "It's one of those 'can't-turn-it-off' countdowns. Just perfect."

"Katie?"

Katie turned around to see Sabrina standing there in her underwear and looking like hell, with Maya nowhere to be seen. Not taking any chances, Katie quickly went over and looked at the hand where she had bitten Maya and found there was no mark in there.

"Good." Katie said, "You're still you unless HYDRA gave Maya some kind of way to heal quickly, which I doubt they did."

"Maya?!" Sabrina asked.

"It doesn't matter." She said, pulling her phone out, and contacting Arthur on the encrypted line, "Arthur. It's Katie."

"Kate!" Arthur declared, "What's going on?! Is Sabrina all right? What's going on with the imposter?"

"The imposter was Maya Katrina." Katie explained, "She somehow managed to get away but Katie's with me now. HYDRA set up some kind of signal to make these girls into killers but I think I have a way to fix it. I just need to talk to Bruce."

"And how do I know it's you?" Arthur asked, "What's the one thing Katie and I know that nobody else does."

Katie paused for a minute before speaking.

"You admitted to me that you found Sigourney Weaver to be hot after I showed you _Aliens_." She answered.

Sabrina looked shocked as they waited for a response.

"Sabrina's with you right now, right?" Arthur asked, finally.

"Yes."

There was another pause before Arthur spoke again.

"Okay, tell her she is not to repeat that line to ANYONE." Arthur said, "I'm putting Bruce on."

They waited before they heard Bruce's voice.

"Hello?" He asked.

"Okay, Bruce." Katie said, "I have a plan to reroute the system, but it needs to be very precise and I'm going to need your help for it, okay?"

"All right." Bruce said, "Explain the machine to me."

….

 _ **Later, the Main Ballroom…**_

Arthur looked at his watch. It was almost time for the 'big celebration' on the brochure he was given, and he felt it would no doubt be the final part which would make these girls HYDRA agents. It had been a full thirty minutes since he last spoke with Bruce who had left to be in a more private area in order to walk Katie through the steps for whatever her plan was, and he was beginning to get worried.

Finally deciding to check up on them, Arthur began to rise from his seat when he saw Bruce re-entering the room, followed by Katie.

"Where's Sabrina?" He asked.

"She's taking the back entrance around to the car." Katie told him, whispering in his ear, "I also did a quick check. No sign of Maya anywhere. What do you want to do about it?"

"We'll deal with that later." Arthur said, "Is everything set up?"

"Yep." Katie nodded, "Speaking of which, we might want to leave now and then watch from a good distance."

Arthur nodded as they all left the building. Upon exiting, they found Desmond, waiting for them in a black car with Sabrina sitting in the back.

"Time to go." Arthur said, as they piled in and drove off.

As soon as they were out of sight of the building, Katie pulled out an iPad-like device and covertly hacked into the building's cameras. Instantly, an image of the stage appeared with the various students lining up onstage. A young petite woman with black hair and a purple dress took the microphone.

"Ladies and Gentlemen," She announced, "I am sorry to say that Sally Knolls had to leave unexpectedly, but now, let me introduce to you the students who will perform something very special after our school song has played."

With that, an orchestral music began playing in the backgrounds. Suddenly, the girls turned to each other…

And they began to kiss.

Arthur looked amazed at his recruits.

"Katie…" He said, lost for words, "What did you do?"

"Oh, nothing much." Katie replied, "I figured if I couldn't stop the signal, then I'd just overwrite it with another one to make people extremely nice to each other instead of having them rip each other's throats out."

Arthur shook his head, smiling.

"Katie Sheila…" He said, "Have I told you that you keep finding new ways of surprising me?"

….

 _ **Later, The Playground…**_

Arthur sat at his desk, going over the paperwork. Maya Katrina had gotten away, but it was clear that HYDRA had done something to her. Coordinating with Phil Coulson, Arthur learned that HYDRA made some kind of brainwashing device that completely overwrote a person's mind and made them believe anything the controller wanted them to. Arthur could not imagine a fate worse than death itself, but this seemed to hit pretty close to that idea.

He would have to have the team keep an eye out for Maya in the near-future. Especially since after they left, they eventually discovered the body of the REAL Sally Knolls. She had her throat sliced and was left in a dump buried underneath a pile of metal. The handwork eventually proved to be the work of Maya after some fingerprint tests on the body. HYDRA apparently wanted S.H.I.E.L.D. to know she was a killer now. For whatever reason, Arthur didn't know why HYDRA was taking these great lengths other than under speculation that they were doing this just to re-create what Arthur had done for Katie; take someone with very little experience outside of pop culture, and then morph them into the ultimate super spy. Except while Arthur had worked with Katie and vice-versa, HYDRA was apparently robbing a young girl of any good memories to make her their weapon.

Arthur promised that if and when they captured her, he would have his team do everything they could to give this girl her life back as much as humanly possible.

As he sorted through the file work, he heard a knock at the door. Looking up, he saw Katie standing in the doorway.

"What's up?" She asked.

"Nothing much." Arthur said, "Things have gone quiet all of a sudden."

"And that's never a good sign." Katie pointed out.

"Correct." Arthur nodded, "Right now, HYDRA's gone dark on our radar, so Phil and his team will tell us when they find something out. However, our main concern now boils down to two things; finding Nick Jones, and curing Jess of whatever's been making her draw these mysterious things she's been doing recently."

"And word on what it all means?"

"Skye thinks it could be a map, but if it is, it could be in a million different places. Or possibly not on this planet, considering we live in a world where we know aliens exist."

"True." Katie nodded, "But that means until then, we're basically just waiting?"

"Yes." Arthur stated, "Therefore I let Sabrina and Bruce have that little date night I promised them. It's the least I could do after sending Sabrina out like that in order to draw the imposter out."

"Actually…" Katie sighed, sitting down in a chair in front of Arthur's desk, "That's something I wanted to talk to you about."

"I know." Arthur sighed, rubbing his hands through his hair, "I'm sorry. It's just…I'm S.H.I.E.L.D.'s new best agent."

He stood up and looked at the wall he had been sitting behind.

"It's a lot of responsibility to have." Arthur continued, "And after what happened with that incident at the convention and now almost being infiltrated, it's made me rethink my strategies. I can't keep doing the same thing over and over, I have to improvise."

Katie was silent, but nodded.

"I understand…kinda." She said, "I'm just curious…how did you know there was an imposter?"

"When I shook 'Sally's' hand," Arthur explained, "It felt much stronger for a woman of her age. Plus, her eyes didn't show a reflection of me in there on my glasses. Usually that's a sign of a hologram."

"Okay." Katie said, "Well, since you brought up the idea of trying something new, I actually wanted to ask if you'd mind…helping me with something."

Arthur raised an eyebrow at her.

"What's that?" He asked.

"Shut the door and I'll tell you." She said.

Arthur did so, and Katie sighed.

"Would you mind…dancing with me? She asked.

Arthur looked at her amazed.

"Dancing?" He questioned.

"I've been under a lot of stress also." Katie admitted, "And I read somewhere that sometimes dancing is the best way to relieve tension and get your mind off of some negative thoughts. So perhaps you and I could…"

"Katie…" Arthur said, "As much as I'm a good agent, I'm not that well-versed in dancing. I mean…I saw you dancing with Bruce perfectly and…"

"It didn't feel right." Katie admitted, "Bruce is a great guy, but he had some trouble keeping up when I explained it to him. Truth be told, it's a miracle that we didn't end up making fools of ourselves on the dance floor. I think I feel more comfortable dancing with someone who I owe a lot of thanks to."

Arthur looked at her and sighed. It was probably going to be a bit tiring, but he knew it'd be something new and it could perhaps ease tensions with everything that was going on.

"Alright." He said, "I'll dance with you."

Katie smiled.

"Does your screen play songs?" She asked.

Arthur pressed some buttons on his iPad-like device and handed it to her.

"Take your pick." He explained, "And we're sound-proof, so don't worry."

After scanning through the list of songs, Katie settled upon her choice and selected it.

"Okay." She said, pausing before the music could start, "Let me just get you into position."

She then helped Arthur so that he had a hand on her back and on hand on her hip. After hitting play, a soft slow song began playing and Katie leaned her head on his shoulder while having one arm around his neck, and the other on his back. Katie then proceeded to lead him with slow steps from left to right until Arthur got the rhythm down perfectly. From there, he proceeded to dance with her slowly.

"Thanks again, by the way."

Arthur looked at her confused.

"For what?" He asked.

"Everything." Katie said, "I told you at times I watched action films to help myself relax. There were other times when I didn't know what to do and I just prayed for a miracle to happen. I prayed I'd get a real family to take me in, and you've become that family, Arthur. You're like the awesome father I never had. Even if we didn't meet eye-to-eye on everything at first, you've taken care of me in a way I don't think I'll ever be able to repay."

Arthur nodded. He was still feeling a bit guilty about not telling Katie that he might've met her real mother. He wasn't completely sure still if it really was her mother, or some insane woman with delusions of being Katie's mom. In the end, none of that mattered to him. What was important now was that there was a psychopath who felt she deserved Katie, when she might not have even given birth to her. If she had though, Arthur couldn't allow her to get close to Katie. Everything Katie told him and the way the woman acted to him indicated she had not seen her daughter in a long time, and therefore wasn't an appropriate parent to be around.

Arthur made another promise as they danced. He would keep Katie safe. No matter what happened.

"Thanks." Arthur simply replied, as they continued to dance.

…

 _ **Meanwhile, not too far away…**_

Sabrina sipped her white wine as Bruce sat across from her. Bruce was wearing a dark blue suit and tie while Sabrina wore a sleeveless red dress as they sat in the restaurant located not too far from the Playground base. It felt nice to finally take a break and she was willing to forgive Arthur a little for making her get caught. True, she was a bit pissed, but she was sure Arthur had his reasons.

In the end, she was alive and with Bruce, which was all that mattered to her now.

"This feels really nice." She said, as a waiter stopped by with their main course; a nice steak dinner for two.

"Thank you." Bruce nodded to the waiter, as he looked back at her, "And you're right, it really is nice to be away from all that craziness we've been dealing with recently."

Sabrina held her glass up and Bruce toasted with her.

"So you're not upset about me dancing with Katie?" He asked.

"I was just wondering how you managed to not fall over repeatedly." Sabrina joked.

"Well," He chuckled, "It was all Katie's idea. Trust me, Sabrina; you mean so much to me. I feel that ever since we've bonded over the course of the…events that happened months back, we've grown even closer."

"Arthur was joking saying he wanted to make sure we wouldn't do any funny business." Sabrina pointed out.

"Well," He said with a grin, "The night's still young."

Sabrina looked at him amazed.

"Bruce!" She proclaimed, quietly, "You're not actually thinking about…"

"What…?" He asked, "No! Oh, god no! I was only kidding."

"Oh." Sabrina said, calming her nerves, "Well, it's great having you here with me."

"Great to be here with you." He smiled.

"Promise me one thing." Sabrina asked.

Bruce looked at her suspiciously as she spoke.

"Promise me you'll stay by my side no matter what. Okay?"

Bruce held his hand out and she took it as he gave her a light squeeze.

"I promise." He said, "From the bottom of my heart. I'll never leave your side."

"Good." She said, "So, let's go back to having this wonderful meal, shall we?"

"As you wish." Bruce replied.

….

 _ **Meanwhile, an unknown HYDRA Base…**_

Maya Katrina was sitting in her room. She had failed in her mission and HYDRA had lost a whole investment due to her failure to kill Arthur's team. She had greatly underestimated Katie Sheila and now instead of the girls killing everyone at the party, the S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent had somehow rewrote the signal so instead they ended up kissing each other.

With that action, Sally Knoll's School had lost all their funds, and HYDRA had to abandon it. They were now relying on Dr. Whitehall and any other HYDRA heads for what little funds they could receive now.

A failure like this would not go unpunished, and Maya feared what they would do.

She heard the door turn and in entered Roger Smith, who looked at her with regrettable eyes.

"You failed your mission." He said.

"I'm sorry, sir." She apologized, tearfully, "I have failed HYDRA, and I have failed you."

He nodded with a sigh.

"I have spoken with Whitehall." He said, "He is willing to give you one more chance to succeed. But first I need to know…did you feel anything wrong when you went in?"

Maya took a minute to think, but shook her head.

"No, sir." She replied.

Roger nodded.

"Very well." He said, "Your punishment will hurt a little, but rest assured, it will be as though it never happened."

He got up and opened the door stopping briefly to look at his protégé.

"Hail HYDRA." He said.

"Hail HYDRA." She replied.

With that he closed the door, and she sat down on the bed in her room, trying to figure out what punishment she would be facing based on her SO's words.

Before she could begin to think, a green gas began filling the room and she began to feel light-headed. Before Maya could even think about what had happened, she was out cold like a light. A minute later, the gas was cleared and some HYDRA agents began to take her body away as Roger followed closely behind. Soon, they were back in the Faustus Device Room, where Maya was chained back into the machine. As Roger entered behind the other agents, he noticed Whitehall was there, looking not so happy with him.

"So you still wish to salvage her?" He asked.

"Yes." Roger replied, "I feel perhaps I can take your advice of experimentation. She will be given the same memories, only now she will have had an… incident that will make her loyal even if she is taken from us. She will work for us because it will be the only thing she will have."

"And what might this incident be that could make her do such a thing?" Whitehall asked.

"You will see." Roger replied, as the agents told them everything was set.

Whitehall took out a waking stimulant and waved it under Maya's nose. Her eyes opened and then the agents forced them open as the Faustus Device began playing again.

"Take a deep breath." A voice told her, "Calm your mind… Compliance will be rewarded."

Maya then dropped into a deep trance. Instantly, images in her mind began playing of her past.

Being abandoned by her family who wanted a boy instead of a girl.

Being put into an orphanage where people teased, bullied and made fun of her.

Taking her rage out, and continuing to do so even after she was told it was wrong.

Being taken in by Roger Smith.

The HYDRA Training. The most grueling part of her life. Time spent training, failing a couple of times before rising above it.

Meeting with Roger Smith about having a procedure done to prove her loyalty.

Being wheeling into an operating room on a gurney wearing a hospital gown.

The surgery which prevented her from ever having children.

Roger made sure that the brainwashing was high enough so her body would believe itself to have been sterilized years ago. Something the Red Room had done would now come into handy in ensuring that Maya Katrina showed no regrets in her role.

If she was to have a family, she would only share her future with HYDRA. She would not share it with anyone else, but him.

 _ **To be continued….**_

 **So there you go! Apologies again for taking so long to get this up, but I hope this is good enough for all of you. Next time, the team gets some down-time and Arthur joins Coulson in learning how to make a deal with the government. Plus, Tyler prepares for his great escape with Ward. I'll try to have the next chapter up as soon as possible. Once again, I own NOTHING but my OC's. This is for FAN-Purposes only, so PLEASE don't sue!**


	5. Tensions Surface

**Hi, everyone! Here's the latest chapter as promised. This one isn't as action packed at first, as it's mainly set-up to show the new character relations which I haven't been able to get to until now. But trust me, later on we'll get to more action and if you thought the last chapter's cliffhanger I had was bone chilling, you haven't seen anything yet. Hope you enjoy. Also, as always, I own NOTHING but my OC's. This is for FAN-purposes only, so PLEASE don't sue. With that said, enjoy…**

….

 _ **Location unknown…**_

Princess entered the room, trying to hide her anger. Before her was Cal whom she was trying to decide if he was doing something very stupid or smart. Also there was someone she hoped that she'd never see again.

"Ah…" Whitehall smiled, "This must be Ms…"

He was cut off when Princess tried lunging at him only to be caught by Cal. She kicked and screamed like a crazed cat, but Cal just shot Whitehall a small smile.

"Could you excuse us for a minute?" He asked, politely with a cherry voice, "We need to have a private conversation.

Whitehall nodded as he and his men left the room. As soon as they were gone, Cal spun Princess around so she was facing him.

"Princess." He said, calmly, "Let me explain…"

"EXPLAIN WHAT?!" Princess demanded, "HOW COULD YOU?!"

"PLEASE!" Cal begged, tightening his grip on her arms, "We're not going to actually be teaming up! Okay?!"

Princess stopped and Cal looked at her sternly.

"Believe me." He said, "It's the last thing I'd want to do, but we're running out of options. Coulson's brainwashed our kids and we need to speed up the time table. They have to go through with the process."

Princess looked at the ground sadly.

"You know what that bastard did to me…" She explained, "What he did to you…"

"Look…" Cal assured, "We'll lead him there, get our kids, and when this is all over, you'll get the first crack and splitting his head open, I'll rip it off from his body, and then you can stab whatever's left. Deal?"

Princess looked up at him with teary eyes and nodded.

"Fine…" She said, "But we make him suffer when he's finished. Okay."

"Okay." Cal nodded, as he hugged her, "It'll be the best day ever. For both of us."

Princess nodded as Cal turned back.

"It's cool." He called, winking at Princess.

…

 _ **Meanwhile, The Playground…**_

Katie Sheila was surprised at how bored she was.

There had been no new activity for her or the others on Arthur's team since the encounter with Maya, and now when something finally did come up, she wasn't even going with the team.

"And why do you have to do this again?" Katie asked Arthur, who was holding up two ties deciding which one would look good on him.

"We need more backing." Arthur explained, "Money isn't going to win this war for us. We need actual reinforcements and the only way to get them is to appease to Ward's older brother. He's a senator, so Coulson and I are going to go over and make some 'contributions' to him if necessary, and maybe he'll give us what we want."

Following the re-encounter with Maya, Coulson's team had a close-encounter with some evidence of Skye's father. Katie could only imagine what Skye was going through when she heard that they found a lab of his containing some messed up images that she'd rather not think about. Then again, there wasn't a complete loss. Simmons had returned to active duty after undercover work with HYDRA. It was then that Katie also had the honor of meeting Agent Bobbi Morse, whom Coulson had placed under special undercover supervision. She also happened to be the ex-husband of Lance Hunter, a mercenary that Coulson had hired for his own team. Katie had spoken to her about the possibility of some sparing sometime as Arthur told her Bobbi was not only a great undercover agent, but was also more than capable of holding her own in a fight, and Katie wanted to keep training her fighting styles to be prepared for anything. Unfortunately, there was a new problem that had arisen involving a number of HYDRA Agents posing as S.H.I.E.L.D. Agents, and launching an attack on the U.N. Therefore, Arthur and Coulson had decided the time was over for HYDRA rubbing the good name of S.H.I.E.L.D. into the ground and that now, they would step-in to try and renew their alliance with the government.

Finally settling on a red-and-blue striped tie, Arthur began tying it around his neck.

"So what do I do in the meantime?" Katie asked.

Arthur shrugged.

"Dunno…" He admitted, "Although now that I think about it, you haven't really spent that much time with AJ, Rose, or Desmond. Why don't you try to get to know them better in case you're assigned to work with them sometime in the near-future?"

He finished his tie and then went to grab a sports jacket. Arthur definitely looked like he was ready for negotiations.

He smiled and put his hands on Katie's shoulders.

"It'll be fine." He said, "I'll be back soon and when I am, I promise that we'll go and do some stuff together. Okay?"

Katie nodded.

"Okay." She smiled.

"Perfect." He replied, "See you soon."

…

 _ **Later…**_

Katie entered the lab to see Fitz and Simmons walking out. However, instead of being happy like they should've been a few months ago, they were still looking apprehensive about certain things. Fitz had apparently known about Jemma's involvement before her return and learning that the woman he loved had been lying behind his back must've felt like a knife to the heart.

As she entered, she saw Rose looking over a blueprint of some kind. It was as the doors closed behind her that Rose noticed Katie for the first time today.

"Oh." She said, "Hello, Katie."

"Hi…" Katie greeted, "Have I caught you at a bad time?"

"On the contrary, no." Rose replied, "I actually need someone to help hold this for me here."

She handed Katie a piece of measuring tape and showed her how long to hold it and from where. Katie did so as Rose took out a notepad and a pencil and began jotting some stuff down, while occasionally looking back to the measuring tape for reference.

"What are you working on?" Katie asked.

"Trying to create a mini-heat generator." Rose explained, taking the measuring tape back from Katie and pointing at her blueprint to elaborate, "Kind of what Donnie did with his weather machine back at the academy. The only difference being is that I'm ensuring the model will be safer, use less energy, and be able to do a variety of tasks from heating a home for an entire winter, or as a new source of energy."

"So you're pioneering then." Katie nodded, pretending she understood all the different formulas an equations written on the blueprint, "Well, best of luck to you with that then. Hopefully it all turns out for the best."

She froze, realizing her mistake as she looked at Rose apologetically.

"I'm sorry." She corrected, "That came out wrong, I didn't mean to…"

"It's fine, Katie." Rose assured, "It's just…the thing is, Donnie didn't have a lot of friends except those who were in a bad crowd. Even though I started dating him, he still felt like he would never be complete without achieving one great thing in life. I only wish that we could've convinced him not to throw everything away."

She sighed again.

"It's the reason I'm with S.H.I.E.L.D. now." She elaborated, "I'm trying to ensure this thing never happens again to anyone else like Donnie."

"Well, if you need help with that, let me know." Katie said, "Seriously. I might not be a genius like you, Fitz, Simmons, Sabrina, or Bruce, but I know a thing or two about doing the right thing."

Rose looked up and smiled at Katie.

"Thanks." She said, "It's good to know there's other people I can count on here."

….

 _ **Soon…**_

Katie decided to visit AJ next. Fortunately, she found her sitting at a couch playing some kind of racing game on the base's game console (donated by the two Keoning brothers,) playing some kind of racing game next to Abby and Tabatha.

"Hey." Katie called.

The three looked behind them to see their new guest.

"Oh, Katie." AJ said, "Good to see you. We were actually just talking about you and we have time to play before Fitz and Mack get their turn at the console. Want to join?"

"Sure." Katie replied, hopping over the couch and sitting down next to Abby. Tabatha handed Katie a controller as she joined the race, selecting a golden sports car.

After the others had selected, the race began and the cars were traveling down a long cliff.

"So Abby and Tabatha told me that you three used to steal cars from time to time." AJ said, as she began to dominate the race.

"Yeah." Katie said, "We caused a lot of trouble back then, but thanks to Arthur, I got better and I managed to help Abby and Tabatha here get a job that was worthwhile. Though I will say that it was pretty funny that one time we stole Daryl's car. Remember that?"

"Oh, yeah." Tabatha replied, as she took the lead from Abby as Katie was now in third place, "Story goes that me and Abby were subjected to a cruel lashing courtesy of our orphanage's head because we were playing too loud when her drug-dealing boyfriend Daryl was there. So Abby gets an idea and we wait for them to not be near the windows or the entrance."

"First chance we got," Katie continued, "I grabbed Daryl's car keys out of his jacket and we stole his car."

"Shut up!" AJ laughed as the first lap completed, and Katie began to take second place, "So what did you do with it?"

"Well at first we spun the car around and then we drove it into a river." Katie laughed, "Then we hit the town and pretended like we were innocent."

"Did you get caught?" AJ asked.

"No." Abby said, "But Sister Rachel had her suspicions so we didn't get any food for a week as a result."

"So enough about our past misadventures." Katie said, as she took the lead from AJ, "Let's talk about you, AJ. How'd you come to join S.H.I.E.L.D.?"

"Well," AJ said, as she had her car accelerate more to keep her and Katie tied as they reached another lap, "My Mother died when I was young leaving me in custody with my Dad. Shortly afterwards, he joined S.H.I.E.L.D. and then he had me sign up as soon as I was old enough."

"Cool." Katie said, as she tried to bump AJ's car only for the opponent car to bump her first resulting in AJ reaching first and Katie second.

"Good game and talk." Katie said, stretching her arms and legs before hopping back up, "Well, you have fun. I think I'll give Tyler a little check and see how he's doing."

"Ok." AJ said, as she turned off Katie's controller.

….

 _ **Meanwhile, Senator Christian Ward's Office in Washinton, DC…**_

Arthur Williams had been to Washington on few occasions before the fall of S.H.I.E.L.D., but he never thought he'd have to break into a Senator's office. He and Phil were waiting for Christian Ward, Grant's older brother, to show up so they could ask for assistance. Arthur felt weird talking to another relative of Ward's (as far as he had known before this, he had been led to believe that Grant was an only child but then again that was back when he couldn't give a crap about anything but his job,) but he trusted Phil would manage to go through negotiations smoothly with him.

Finally, they saw Christian enter and he finally took notice of them.

"Excuse me." He said, surprised, "What are you doing here?"

"Don't worry." Phil assured, "We haven't been waiting long."

He and Arthur stepped up and Phil extended his hand towards Christian in a friendly manner.

"I'm Phil Coulson." He introduced, "This is Agent Arthur Williams."

Arthur nodded as Phil took out a stack of papers he had taken from Christian's desk.

"I assume this is for your speech." Phil noted, "Made a few changes. It's funnier now."

"Wait till you hear the one about the boy and the wolf." Arthur said, trying to keep a joking mood.

"I'm sure Talbot had mentioned us from time to time." Phil said, walking around the office as Arthur watched him, "Which is perhaps why you're trying to call whoever it is you're trying to call."

Arthur looked back to see Christian looking at his phone confused.

"Don't worry." Arthur assured, "I didn't completely break it. I don't want to piss on the government like the way you think I want to. I merely have it shut down long enough to give the three of us enough time to chat."

"Likewise." Phil continued, "Your men won't be checking on you. At least for the next hour. Like Agent Williams said. Now it's just time for us to talk. Who can argue with that?"

Christian looked over the two agents before speaking.

"What do you want?" He demanded.

"An opportunity to clear the air." Phil replied, "The attack on the U.N. wasn't S.H.I.E.L.D., it was HYDRA. Specifically a man named Daniel Whitehall."

Christian just smiled at them.

"You two didn't come here to clear the air." He pointed out, "You need something from me. And all this swaggering tells me you have nothing to offer in return."

He walked back over to his desk.

"What do you want me to do?" He asked, "Go on record defending S.H.I.E.L.D.? Condemning HYDRA? The American people are looking for a simple enemy. It's what makes them feel safe."

"I could think of many ways to deconstruct that case," Arthur admitted, "But let me ask you this, Senator; how do you think they would react when they found out your brother was HYDRA?"

This got Christian's attention as he looked at Arthur with raised eyebrows.

"It's an awfully complicated idea to grasp, don't you think?" Arthur continued, "And uh…correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't this year supposed to be the election year? With everyone in disarray after HYDRA's last attack, I'd say that you'd need all the help you could get."

Christian looked at Arthur surprised.

"Are you two threatening me?" He asked.

"No." Phil smiled, "We're telling you that we have your brother in my basement."

Christian took a few moments to comprehend what he was being told before he spoke again.

"Is he all right?" Christian asked, "Is Grant hurt? Did…did you have to do anything…"

"No." Phil answered, honestly, "But we believe there are other ways to get information from people."

"I'm actually surprised you're concerned as much as the fact that Grant had other siblings." Arthur admitted, "I only found out a week ago that he had an older brother who forced him to throw his youngest brother into a well and throw away the key."

Tyler just smiled and nodded at him.

"You don't have a brother, do you?" He asked.

"Nope." Arthur admitted, "And neither does Phil."

"I always wanted one, though. For the record." Phil pointed out, "As an only child you tend to idealize that relationship. Family has to take care of each other."

Arthur and Phil sat down in front of Christian's desk as Arthur took notice of a photograph by a fireplace featuring Christian with some woman with short cut hair. No doubt Christian's wife.

"But like Arthur pointed out." Phil added, "We've heard some stories that say otherwise."

"Grant told you the story." Christian nodded, "Except he made it a well now it seems."

Arthur and Phil looked at him for a further explanation. Christian looked down as he walked around his office.

"You may think you know Grant Ward." Christian told them, "But trust me, you two; underneath every lie he tells, there's just another lie."

He looked at the two of them seriously.

"When we were kids." He explained, "Our parents were always gone. Some state function or another. We'd spend all day by the creek hunting salamanders and crayfish. But I could never leave Grant alone with Thomas."

He paused for a minute, as if composing himself before he continued.

"I found Grant down there once." He said, "Standing over him with a screwdriver. Thomas was on the ground, just screaming…and I saw something. Something else behind his eyes. Something I'm sure the two of you have seen before as well."

He sighed again as he looked at the ground.

"A second later, it was gone. And he was just my little brother again." Christian concluded, "He told our parents that I forced him to do it. I've spent too much of my life trying to unravel his lies."

"We have too." Phil admitted.

Arthur nodded. It shouldn't have come as a surprise that Ward had been lying, but hearing the story from his brother almost sent goosebumps down his spine. How could Ward do such a thing, pretend to be good, and then blame someone else for it?

"And yet, he keeps telling them." Christian pointed out, "He always finds someone to believe him."

"He won't get away with it this time." Phil assured, as he and Arthur stepped up, "It's not going to be simple, but I think I can find a way so that we can both have what we want."

"Well," Arthur admitted, "If it's all the same we have someone else who could be of use to you, Senator Ward."

….

 _ **Later, The Playground…**_

It shouldn't have come as a surprise to Katie. Ward had been lying about his older brother forcing him to do unspeakable things and now he was going to be put on trial alongside Tyler for it.

Well, actually Tyler was really just the extra incentive Coulson and Arthur had offered to seal the deal. Seeing as how Tyler was responsible of many crimes including convincing a majority of the former GOP to stand by and watch congress slaughter each other, it only made sense for Christian Ward to have him in custody also to parade to the world.

Right now, Desmond was saying his goodbyes to Tyler, and from the looks of it, he was trying for one last appeasement for Tyler to cooperate and divulge some information about HYDRA. Of course, Tyler wouldn't budge.

"This is your last chance, Tyler." Desmond warned, "After this it's going to be done their way. If you cooperate now, I'll see to it that you get some parole. I'm trying to be human with you, Tyler…"

"No." Tyler spat, "You're trying to be one of them. So tell me, Desmond, what will you do without me?"

"Try to make a difference." Desmond replied, "If I can't help you, there's other people who I know I can help."

"Like who?" Tyler asked, "Jessica? She's almost completely gone by this point, probably. I heard what that stuff did to John Garrett. Who knows what she'll do when she finally snaps. What comes after her, then?"

"There'll be plenty of other people who will join, Tyler." Desmond sighed as some soldiers came in to take him away, "It'll be a shame that you won't be on our team."

"Yeah." Tyler responded, "Because Ward and I are ready for our big break."

As the soldiers hauled him out in a cuff, Desmond turned around since he couldn't bear to look at his cousin.

"See you around, Desmond." Tyler said, mockingly as he left.

After he was gone, Katie took a minute before she spoke to Desmond.

"Do you think he's really capable of escaping?" She asked.

"Katie, at this point anything is possible." He sighed, "But like I said. I'm not giving up on anyone else."

"True." Katie said, "And I thank you for that. But Tyler acted like you didn't have a reason for coming here."

"I didn't." Desmond admitted, "At first. Originally, S.H.I.E.L.D. tried to recruit me when I was 18. I declined due to family business. Had to look after the ones I loved first. I only came down cause of Tyler, and also partly because of Agent Smith's descent."

"How's she doing?" Katie asked.

Desmond sighed.

"I won't lie." He admitted, "She's not doing so well. I think Tyler's right. Whatever you put in her has caused her to become single minded and it's only a matter of time before she becomes single-minded. It could happen at any second."

Katie nodded.

"Either way." She said, "Thank you for everything you're doing."

"You're welcome, Katie." Desmond smiled, "I want to believe I'm making a difference here. And not just by adding some humor to the long drinking nights."

Katie chuckled and Desmond followed.

…

 _ **Tyler and Ward's Transfer Truck…**_

Tyler looked at Ward. The two were surrounded, but he knew they could take these guys if Ward was ready. Ward eyed him with a look that told him it was time. All of a sudden, Tyler dropped to the ground, clutching his chest in pain. The guy who he was cuffed to demanded he get back up. Tyler blocked the noise out and waited until the guy forced him up at which point Tyler pushed himself up off the ground and head-butted the guy in the nose with enough force to knock his head hard against the side of the truck. The other Agents prepared to fire but Ward slipped out of his cuffs thanks to the vigorous workout exercises. As he took care of the armed guards, Tyler wrapped the cuff chain around the guy's throat and pulled hard until a sickening snap was heard. Afterwards, he rummaged through the guy's pocket and found the keys.

….

 _ **Later, The Playground…**_

Things were not looking up for the team. Their deal was now in jeopardy as Tyler and Ward had managed to escape confined custody and were now both in unknown locations. Arthur already had Franco out looking for Tyler while Coulson had some of his best agents trying to find where Ward was. Unfortunately, there wasn't any word back from Coulson's team and all Franco managed to get was that someone had apparently broken into a highly-advanced prosthetics factory and stolen to prosthetic arms leaving behind one human arm which was quickly I.D.'d as Tyler's.

This meant Tyler was not messing around and because those arms he stole were for Military usage, it meant that he would be stronger next time they encountered him.

Compounding matters further was the fact that Phil had just learned about some former S.H.I.E.L.D. Agents who had been brutally murdered with the symbol Phil and Jessica had been drawing carved into their flesh. Seeing as how they were at a dead end with finding Ward or Tyler, Phil decided it would be best that they focus their time on finding out once and for all what these carvings meant before it was too late. This made a good case when Simmons theorized that based on evidence of the crime scenes, whoever was behind these killings also had GH.325 in their body as well. So now, Arthur found himself walking alongside Simmons and Skye as Phil was leading them to something he told them might help in locating whoever was killing all these S.H.I.E.L.D. Agents.

"Sir," Arthur asked, "Are you sure it's a good idea to try and focus our attention on this matter now?"

"The way I see it, Arthur." Phil explained, "There's no other mission that needs immediate attention and seeing as how these people are losing their lives at the hands of someone who's had similar experiences to Jessica and myself, there's really only one way to go."

"The patient files were all destroyed." Simmons pointed out, "How would anyone be able to locate them?"

"I dunno." Phil admitted.

"How many Tahiti patients were there?" Skye asked.

"I dunno." Phil answered again.

"Do you think the killer will come after the two of you and Jessica?" Arthur asked.

"I dunno." Phil said simply.

"If you don't know anything," Skye asked, as they approached a brick wall which Phil began to punch a secret code into, "then how are we gonna find them?"

Suddenly, the brick wall opened revealing something Skye, Arthur, and Simmons thought they'd never see again. Hidden behind the brick wall was the memory machine from the time he had been held by Raina. They remembered that after Phil had been rescued, the machine itself had been taken away and was said to have been dismantled. But apparently it turns out they were wrong.

Phil just turned back and looked at them seriously.

"You're going to have to torture it out of me." He said, without a hint of sarcasm in his voice.

Before Arthur could respond, his phone rang and he answered.

"Hello?" He asked.

"AAAAARRRRRRTTTHHHHUUUUURRRRRR!" Katie's voice squawked through a static hiss in a long scream, making Arthur pull the phone away in shock and confusion.

"KATIE!" Arthur declared, "Katie what's going on?!"

"Arthur…" Katie's voice replied, almost panting, "It's Jess. It finally happened."

"What?!" Arthur asked.

"She finally snapped. She was just doing those carvings when Faye and I went in to try and talk to her. She ended up punching Faye and she's gone completely berserk….FAYE LOOK OUT!"

With that, the static returned as Arthur dropped the phone.

"What?" Skye asked.

"It's Jess…" He breathed, turning to them, "It's happened. Katie said she's lost control. She's attacking her and Faye."

"Go." Phil replied, "Skye and Jemma will hook me up and help me out. You secure Jessica and make sure neither of you hurt anyone."

"On it." Arthur said.

"And Arthur…" Phil added, "You make sure to let her know I'll help her once we finally have our answers."

Arthur nodded and ran off. On the way over, he stopped by the lab and secured some tranquilizer shots which he hoped would only be used in a last-case scenario, although it seemed to be unlikely at this point. After sliding down the hallway, he came to Jessica's room where he saw a bunch of stone carvings of that damned pattern propped up against the walls. There was also Faye who was lying on the ground unconscious with a black eye, and Jessica holding an unconscious Katie by her shirt while she held a knife upwards ready to bring it down.

"JESSICA!" Arthur demanded.

Jessica looked up and dropped Katie, focusing her attention on Arthur.

"Hello, Arthur." She greeted.

"Jess, you need to stop this now." Arthur warned.

"No, Arthur." She replied, showing the same crazy eyed expression of a serial killer. Her hair was frazzled and she looked as though she had taken some LSD and Cocaine at the same time all night.

"I can feel it, Arthur." Jessica explained, "It's calling to me and I can hear it."

"Jess." Arthur warned, "You need to stand down…"

"No." Jess replied, shaking her head, "I need to know."

With that, she thrust the knife forward which Arthur dodged. He then grabbed her arm, giving it a tight twist. Jessica screamed in pain from the Indian sunburn she was given, but used her other arm to grab Arthur by the throat, as she shoved him back against the wall. Arthur wheezed as he saw the tranquilizer shots had fallen in the confusion. He then kicked at her knees, causing her to step back, but the moment he lunged for it, Jessica was the first to react and grabbed his waist, before power slamming him into the ground and then shoving his face into the floor repeatedly.

"JESS, YOU NEED TO STOP!" He pleaded.

"NO!" She screamed, "I NEED TO KNOW!"

Before Jess could do any further damage, she suddenly felt a prick in her arms. Turning, she saw Katie sitting on her knees having injected the needles into her arms. Jessica looked at her amazed before she slumped over, and collapsed over Arthur.

Katie looked over her friend before she spoke.

"Merry Christmas, you filthy animal." Katie said, taking the needles out of Jessica's arms, "And a happy New Year."

"MMMPH MPH MMPH!" Arthur muffled, unable to get up with being exhausted from his fight.

"What was that?" Katie asked, as she got Jessica off and helped him up.

"I said she's not dead." Arthur repeated.

"I know." Katie replied, "But when was I ever gonna get a chance to use that line?"

"Let's just get her sedated before she wakes up again." Arthur groaned.

….

 _ **Later…**_

Arthur stood over Jessica's bed as he looked over her. Sabrina and Bruce had managed to rig up a nose plug which was administering an anesthetic into her body to keep her asleep.

There was a knock at the door, and Arthur turned to see Phil there.

"Mind if I talk for a second with you?" Phil asked.

"Sure." Arthur said, getting up.

However, Phil put a hand on his shoulder.

"We can sit." He assured.

Arthur nodded and they took a seat.

"Did you find what we were looking for?" Arthur asked.

"I have a lead." Phil admitted, "It's not much, but it's all we have."

"Better than nothing, I guess." Arthur shrugged, "So when do we leave?"

"Well, we're not leaving." Phil replied, putting his hand on Arthur's shoulder.

Before he knew what was happening, Phil delivered a judo-chop near Arthur's neck. Arthur suddenly lost consciousness and blacked out.

"I'm sorry, Arthur." Phil apologized, "But right now, I have to help Jessica like I promised."

With that, he unhooked and freed Jessica before carrying her over his shoulder so they could find the person he assumed had the connection to the killer.

….

 _ **Later, Hank Thompson's House…**_

Halfway towards their destination, Jessica woke up and Phil quickly explained his plan to her. While he was only operating on a speculation as his memory recall had been aborted before they had been fully recovered, there was a good chance that if this agent Hank Thompson didn't remember anything, then whoever might would come calling soon enough. Either way, Jessica was relieved to finally be getting to the bottom of this and hoped she could end this nightmare as soon as possible.

Finally, the door opened and Hank Thompson appeared. He seemed to be an ordinary man, but Jess figured she might've seen him once or twice before in passing.

"Can I help you two?" He asked.

"My name is Phil Coulson." Phil introduced, quickly, "This is Jessica Smith. You don't remember me, but we've met. You might've also met Jessica but it's not important. What is important is that we talk."

The man looked behind him and began to close the door.

"This isn't a good time." He admitted.

However, Jessica stopped the door from shutting completely and forced him to not close it all the way.

"You need to listen to us." She begged.

"I have no idea who you are, or what you want." The man assured, "But you need to leave."

However, Jessica pushed the door open. She had come this far and she wasn't going to give up now.

"Mr. Thompson!" She begged, "PLEASE!"

"Look…" Hank explained, stepping outside, "If you have something to say, you can say it out here."

"We have every reason to believe that your life is in danger." Phil elaborated, "Is your family home?"

Hank looked back and shook his head.

"No." He answered.

"That's good." Phil smiled, taking out his gun and pointing it at Hank, "Because we're going to need to pick your brain."

In the back of her mind, Jessica was telling herself that this was wrong, but the urge to understand the symbols was too great to pass up.

"We don't want to hurt you." Phil assured, "But you need to listen to us."

"You were an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D." Jessica insisted, taking out a sheet of paper containing the symbols on there and showing it to Hank.

"Please…" Hank begged, "Just go…"

"Do you recognize these symbols?!" Jessica demanded, "Please just tell us!"

"No!" Hank answered, getting scared, "No, I don't! Look, is that all you need?!"

"Think." Phil urged, "Have you been drawing, carving, painting? Anything that reminds you of these?!"

"I have never seen them in my life!" Hank assured.

"LOOK AT THEM!" Jessica screamed, taking him off guard, "We have to know…I have to know what this means or I might die! You apparently have pieces we need!"

"I don't know what you're talking about!" Hank declared, "And I don't care! Look, I told the other guy and I'm telling you now, you've got the wrong guy!"

Jessica and Phil both looked at Hank amazed.

"Wait…" Jessica said, "The other guy?"

"Someone got here before us?" Phil questioned.

Before they knew what happened, they were both knocked in the head by an unknown assailant and were soon unconscious.

 _ **Meanwhile, The Playground…**_

"ARTHUR!"

Arthur shot up to see Katie and Faye kneeling over him and giving his face firm, but gently slaps.

Standing up, Arthur looked to see Jessica was gone.

"Arthur." Katie explained, "Jessica's gone. Phil's apparently gone too. He snapped and went nuts too. He locked Skye up and then took Jessica with him."

"Do we know where he's headed?!" Arthur demanded.

"The others figured that one out a while ago." Katie told him.

"Then let's get them back." Arthur declared.

….

 _ **Soon, Hank Thompson's House…**_

When Jessica awoke, she realized that her hands were being suspended above her head. Turning to the side she saw Phil in the exact same position. It was clear now that the two were now suspended by some rope hanging from one of the wooden planks near the upper level of this place. Right now, they appeared to be in some kind of barn which had a rather impressive model train station with buildings and shapes made from different appliances. Then the two turned forward to see Thompson being restrained with duct tape around his mouth while a man with short graying hair holding a threatening blade approached them. Sebastian Derik. Phil had told Jess about this guy in the short briefing and apparently it was very evident that he was the one behind these murders.

"Agent Coulson." The man introduced, "I've got some bad news. The lunatics are running the asylum."

He turned to Jessica and looked at her confused.

"I don't remember seeing you in the Tahiti Protocols." He pointed out, "Though you do look familiar. Do I know you from somewhere?"

"I'm Agent Jessica Smith." Jessica explained.

"Oh!" Sebastian recalled, snapping his fingers, "Of course. S.H.I.E.L.D.'s second-greatest pilot next to the cavalry herself. How did you end up here with Phil? For that matter, why were you two looking for Thompson?"

"We were both exposed to the GH.325 drug." Jessica explained.

Derik looked at them amazed.

"Seriously?" He asked, walking over to Phil and placing the blade dangerously close to him, "Do you remember me, Coulson? Do you remember?"

"I was trying to help you." Phil answered.

"By erasing my memories?" Sebastian asked, "By making me forget?"

"It was the only way to save you."

"Well, it didn't work because we're all here now." Sebastian told him, "I discovered a little secret. Pain made me remember."

With that, he gave Phil's arm a nasty cut as the Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. groaned in pain.

"I found out after I started cutting myself." Sebastian continued, as he went over to Jessica and did the same to her arm. Jessica shut her eyes and tried to block out the pain as she had many times before.

"The more pain, the more I remembered." The psychotic former S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent told them, "That's how I found the others you erased, Coulson. I remembered who they were. Who they became."

With that, he gave Jessica's other arm another cut, as she began to feel a bit dizzy.

"I came for Phil first," Derik said, walking over and giving his other arm a cut as well, "But you were already dead. Though it seems you've been using that drug a lot lately."

He turned his back to them and began to take his shirt off.

"I think it's because you wanted to know the answer to this."

With that, he dropped his shirt revealing that Derik had his entire body covered in tattoos that resembled the strange symbol Phil and Jessica had been drawing.

With that, he walked back up to Phil and put his knife on Phil's throat.

"Look." He explained, his voice getting louder "I tried to help the others remember. I cut, and I cut, but no one had the answer. I need to know, Coulson; what does it mean?!"

"I don't know." Phil replied.

"Sebastian!" Jessica called, "If you're going to kill someone…kill me."

Sebastian looked at her surprised.

"Please…" She begged, "I've seen what the long-term prognosis does even before I met you. I don't want to live like that so kill me instead."

Sebastian walked over to her.

"I'm afraid I can't do that." He told her, "You see, you welcome death, but if I can't get it out of Phil, I'll keep you alive long enough so that you can help me figure out what this all means."

"Please…" Jessica begged.

"It's just the symptoms." Derik said, turning to Phil, "Has it been driving you crazy? Making you draw patterns?"

"Yes." Phil nodded.

"Then it's not deep enough." Sebastian concluded, "You can't just scratch the surface. We have to dig deep. It's why I started carving bodies."

However, Phil and Jessica weren't focused on him. They had taken another glance at the toy train track model, and they felt something. They couldn't describe what it was, but something about the train tracks felt important.

"It has to be deep!" Sebastian declared.

"It's not two-dimension…" Phil whispered.

"No." Sebastian said, as Jessica was trying to figure out what Coulson meant, "The answer isn't on the surface. It's what lies beneath."

For some reason, Jessica felt that what was going on was important and for some reason, she couldn't get that toy train track off her mind. What was it that made it so important?!

"We can find it." Phil assured Sebastian, "All of us. Together."

"That's the idea." Sebastian nodded.

With that, he stuck his knife into Phil's chest and began cutting a deep wound down there. Jessica had so many questions and so many things to do now, but out of the corner of her eye, she spotted Thompson who had managed to free himself and was walking over to a door. He nodded at her and Jessica quickly nodded back before turning her attention elsewhere, pretending she hadn't seen anything while looking for a way to escape.

"What does it mean, Coulson?!" Sebastian demanded as Hank opened a door revealing his wife and son behind there, and motioning for them to get out quietly and quickly.

"I don't know!" Phil repeated.

Meanwhile, Hank had opened the barn door when it made a creaking noise. Unfortunately, Sebastian heard it and turned his head to see them. With that, he threw his knife at Hank who miraculously managed to catch it in his hands without cutting himself.

After taking a moment to comprehend what had happened, he threw the knife at Phil's ropes. The knife cut through the ropes that were suspending him and Phil dropped to the floor now free. He quickly got the ropes off and threw the knife at Jessica's ropes as she dropped down as well. Wasting no time, Phil began to take on Sebastian as Jessica snatched her gun while Thompson helped her family. Jessica ran to an upper level of the barn to get a better vantage point to shoot from as she felt something close on the ground might interfere and risk the chance of shooting Phil instead.

As she got to the top, she found a good point, but then she saw the train model from above.

Suddenly, she finally understood. After months of going mad, drawing, carving, being taken off-guard, just trying to make sense of the damned symbol, she finally understood what it meant. When she had been briefed by Phil on their way over here, Phil had admitted to her that Skye seemed somehow immune to the compulsion to draw these symbols, and had theorized the symbols might've been a map. Jessica thought it was insane at first, but after seeing the map from this point up here and remembering Phil's line to Sebastian about this not being two-dimensional, she finally understood what it all meant. Jessica felt normal again. That sense of dread seemed to be finally out of her system and now she had to help Phil make this other guy see the same thing.

"PHIL!" She called, "I HAVE AN IDEA! BRING SEBASTIAN UP HERE!"

With that, Phil threw a wrench at the lights as they turned off, Sebastian having to shield his eyes from the sparks and sudden burst before everything went dark. Coulson then quickly joined Jessica upstairs as they began their next plan of action by keeping extremely quiet. Sebastian walked up there, trying to spot them. Coulson and Jessica stuck closely to the shadows, the two silently grabbing some nearby rope.

"You can't hide from me!" Sebastian assured, "We're connected by the blood."

With that, the two quickly stepped out when Sebastian turned his head in the opposite direction and slugged him in the gut hard. With that, the two wrapped their ropes around his neck and forced him down to see the model.

"LOOK AT IT!" Jessica demanded.

"THE ANSWER'S RIGHT HERE, DERIK!" Phil assured, "ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS LOOK!"

"JESSICA! PHIL!"

The two looked to see their teams had arrived. Mack and Katie were flanking them to the right with guns while Arthur and Faye were positioned bellow with sniper rifles.

"Let him go, you two!" Mack warned.

"We're okay now!" Phil assured.

"That's what you said before you threw me in a cell, and then knocking out Arthur and taking Jessica here." Skye told him, as she approached them with a gun of her own.

"Can't argue there." Jessica replied, "But we're not trying to kill him! We're trying to save him!"

"I'm giving you both to the count of three!" Mack declared, "And my gun's real!"

"Don't do this!" Katie begged, "We will shoot you."

"It's right here, Skye!" Phil explained, "Everything we've all been looking for!"

"One!" Mack began.

"He's not kidding, let him go!" Skye warned.

"Open your eyes, Derik!" Jessica begged.

"Two!"

"It's just below the surface like you said!" Phil explained, "All you have to do is look!"

"Three!" Mack finished.

Then Phil and Jessica quickly released their ropes and Sebastian fell to his knees. Instantly, the other agents tensed up, preparing for anything, but then Sebastian just ignored them and looked at the model bellow them. Everyone lowered their guns and looked confused.

Sebastian looked down and smiled. Now he understood too.

"You can put the guns away." Phil told them, "He won't hurt anyone now."

"How do you know that?" Skye asked.

"We found what he's been looking for." Phil said, simply, "What we've all been looking for."

Skye and Katie walked up next to Phil and looked down, before realizing as well. The agents on the ground did so as well and they all saw it. All this time, those who knew about Skye's guess on the carvings figured it was a two-dimensional map. But Thompson had made a three-dimensional model and looking at it from above showed the symbols on a two-dimensional surface.

"The final piece." Phil answered.

"I don't believe it." Skye said out loud.

The map was never meant to be looked at from one dimension. It was meant to be looked at from a three-dimensional standpoint. This was a tremendous win for S.H.I.E.L.D. today, and it meant now they could cross-reference with better accuracy to find out what it meant and perhaps where this map was meant to be.

"It's not so much a map, as a blueprint." Phil told them "It's a city."

But perhaps the greatest achievement of all was that Jessica finally felt free of the compulsion. For the past few months when she had it, it always seemed to be with her every waking moment as if it were a buzzing in the back of her head. Now that buzzing was gone and hopefully that meant that she was now free of the curse that the GH.325 had given her when her team saved her life.

….

 _ **Later, The Playground…**_

After many tests, Jessica and Phil were both declared free of any more compulsion. Their brainwaves now registered differently from before the incident and their best minds at S.H.I.E.L.D. could now safely say they didn't have to worry anymore about writing the strange symbols against their own will ever again.

Sebastian had willingly given himself over to the police and would serve his time as needed. He would do so, and try to repent for what he had done now that he knew the truth behind the symbols. Thompson was offered his old job at S.H.I.E.L.D. back, but he had become so accustomed to his new life that he politely declined, though he did offer them some welding services if they ever needed it.

Another fair win was that while the other teams around the globe had been unable to retrieve either Ward or Tyler, they had managed to find Sunil Bakshi, a well-known HYDRA Agent with whom Ward had been speaking to before leaving him tied up with tape over his mouth that had the words 'for Coulson,' written on there in marker. This was still going to be a problem and the two rouge traitors would need to be found quickly before anyone got hurt. However, having a well-known HYDRA Agent in prison would be good for the win. Plus, Phil had decided that with HYDRA in possession of a strange palm-sized Obelisk that had been stolen which apparently had ties to this blueprint, it seemed that perhaps it would be best to secure wherever this city was first before HYDRA could find it. Whatever that Obelisk was, it was apparently said to be a key of some kind and it no doubt went into somewhere within this city. Whatever it unlocked, S.H.I.E.L.D. didn't want to find out what it was, and so all efforts were being made to find this city as soon as possible,

However, Jessica had a lot of other thinking to do now. She had done plenty of bad things ever since that whole incident with writing that city blueprint and even though she managed to make amends for working with Nick Fury to spy on Arthur's team behind his back, she felt she had done more damage here than she had back then. Though whatever pain she might've caused, Jessica was willing to try and make it up to her team and would from this point forward do everything possible to win them back.

As she entered her room, she flipped on the lights and almost had a heart attack when she heard a bunch of people yell out one word.

"SURPRISE!"

Jessica was stunned. There was a small circle table in her room with plenty of seats on it where her teammates were sitting at. In the center was a vanilla cake which had the words 'Happy Birthday, Jessica!' written on there in red frosting.

Jessica had completely forgotten today was her birthday, though it would've been expected with all the crazy stuff that had been going on in the past few weeks. Though the bigger shock was that Arthur had his entire team there just for her.

"Arthur…" She said, breathlessly, "You did this for me? Even after everything I've done?!"

"Of course!" Arthur answered.

"Well, we were going to surprise you after we had gotten the cake today, but then the whole symbols thing happened, and we had to rush to finish while you and Phil were having those tests taken on you."

"You're still a part of the team, Jessica." Desmond assured, "Even though you were acting crazy, I think it's clear here that everyone was willing to forgive you no matter what."

Jessica felt extremely happy. She never felt happier in her entire life and was glad to see that there were others who could understand no matter what. All-in-all, it was a great day for her now, and she would live today up in happiness. All seemed right in the world.

….

 _ **Meanwhile, Richmond, London…**_

Annastasia Boateng was tired. It had been a heavy toll on her ever since her husband died some few years ago. She remembered how proud she was when she heard her son had joined the world peacekeeping organization known as S.H.I.E.L.D. but her heart had broken a couple weeks ago when she heard that her son had joined as a ruse and was actually in the employment of HYDRA this whole time. She was so devastated, but decided she would try to roll with the punches and move on. She had managed to survive without her husband, and although she missed him very much, she knew that he would not want her to mourn him forever. Likewise, she figured she should not have to do the same with Tyler. Whatever happened to him, it was quite clear that he was beyond her help now, and nothing could change that.

Just then, the front doorbell rung and Annastasia want over to answer. But when she saw who it was, she realized that moving on might not be as easy a thing to do as she originally thought.

Standing there was Tyler who looked a little bit more buff, but where his arms should have been, instead there were two mechanical-looking arms that looked kind of like skinner versions of Iron Man's armor except they were painted chrome white.

"Hi, Mom." Tyler greeted.

Annastasia tried to close the door, but Tyler caught the door before it could close and with great force, slammed it open as he stepped inside, as his Mom took a few steps backwards in fear.

"It's been a while." Tyler said, closing the door behind him, "We need to talk."

…

 **Dun-Dun-Dun! So is this a place to leave off or what?! Again, sorry if I might've taken a bit longer but at least it wasn't as bad as last time. Anyways next chapter will see Tyler trying to reconnect with his mother and we'll also see a bit more into Princess's past experience with Cal. Hope you enjoyed! As always, reviews are appreciated, and again I own NOTHING but my OC's. This is for FAN-purposes only, so PLEASE don't sue!**


	6. Memories and Family

**Hi, everyone. Well, here's the latest chapter. Unfortunately, this chapter comes after the sudden and shocking death of a great action star of the 80's and WWE Pro; Roddy Piper. I quoted Roddy back in the first Spec Ops Story's final chapter, and I will certainly miss him now that he's gone. I just needed to get that out of my system, and we should all pray for his family. With that said, on with the description for this chapter. I know we've missed a lot of Princess/Cal moments, but here they are again with a little more of their backstory ready to be revealed. Fair warning though; some of the stuff I've hinted at with Princess's past has built up to this and it also ties in with Katie's backstory when she talked to Arthur back in the first Spec Ops Story during the chapter 'Purple Haze.' You might want to look back at that and then this for small drops as to where Katie's destiny will lead her. In addition, we'll be picking up with Tyler and learn just what it is he plans to do with his Mother. Also, I would like to welcome a new latecomer OC courtesy of stormrunner74. You'll see what happens here. Anyways, hope you enjoy. As always, I own NOTHING but my OC's. This is for FAN-Purposes only, so PLEASE don't sue!**

….

 _ **An Unknown HYDRA Base…**_

Princess had to admit that it was nice of HYDRA to retrieve her snake. Of course, the guys had to use steel mittens because every time they got close to her pet, it instantly lashed out at them. Fortunately, they had brought her here alive and well. Princess instantly gave her snake a pat on the head as it bowed humbly and then turned her attention back to Cal and Whitehall. Cal was just explaining the use of the Diviner. Apparently HYDRA had believed it was just a simple weapon that aliens had left behind, and believed they could use it to conquer everyone.

How typical of them. See an ancient artifact imminently assume aliens made it and that the artifact was theirs to use.

"Conquer?" Cal asked, "You heard 'Conquer?' I think you got a bad translation. The way I understand it, it was 'end' - to end mankind. Sparing a chosen few, needless to say."

"Hmm. And that's why it's called the Diviner." Whitehall noted.

"Of course!" Princess declared as everyone looked at her, "Of course it's not a weapon! Have you ever seen a film where the aliens come down, leave the weapon and the keys in there, and then just screw off and not come back to turn it against everyone else?! No! That's why you don't see people casually picking up Thor's supposed alien hammer and carrying it around everywhere!"

"Princess, please!" Cal warned.

Princess took a deep breath and calmed down.

"Sorry." She said, "I'm just a little tense. As is to be expected."

"Very well." Whitehall said, "Then if it helps, would you please leave the room until you have calmed down?"

Princess stood up and left the room taking her pet snake with her, before going into one of the hospitality bedrooms. She sat back in the bed and wondered how everything led to this moment in her life.

….

 _ **China,**_

 _ **A Few Years Ago…**_

Princess was an entirely different woman from whom she was now back then. She was young and looking into becoming a veterinarian. In her youth, she had parents who had wanted a son instead of a daughter, but Princess eventually worked her way through school and through a one-in-a-million school raffle, won enough money to go overseas to work in China on a special veterinarian seminar so-to-speak. Back then, Princess had her hair more curled and brown and she actually wore large black framed glasses. It was that one day when she overslept and missed her bus to go to the place where the seminars were held that she met Cal. She had frantically run up-and-down the streets trying to get someone to help give her a lift, but to her disappointment, no one really bothered to help her. That is, until Cal had been driving by and nearly ran over her while she was screaming and waving in the middle of the street. After apologies had been made, Cal introduced himself and kindly gave her the ride she needed. As luck would have it, Cal was actually staying not too far away from where Princess's hotel was.

It was a month later that Princess decided she would meet up with Cal for drinks in the hotel's bar. She had picked out her best green dress that she had brought from this country and was waiting for him to arrive when she heard footsteps approaching behind her. Turning around, there was Cal except he was joined by two other people. There was a Chinese Woman with brown eyes and hair, and there was a Caucasian man with slicked back black hair whom she was helping along. The man seemed nervous as the Chinese woman helped him, almost as if he'd never been outside of his house before.

"Princess!" Cal said happily, "Glad to see you're here. This is my lovely wife, Jiaying."

"How do you do?" The Chinese woman said, stretching out her hand.

Princess shook it unsurely, and the woman shook it back.

"I...uh…" Princess admitted, "I didn't know Cal was married."

"Well, it never came up in the conversation, but details and all." Cal smiled.

"So who's your friend?" Princess asked.

"This is Henry Ryan." Jiaying explained, "I work with him. He's…special and needs help at times. I was actually surprised myself when Cal said he wanted me to join you, but I decided I'd bring Henry along. He's actually an orphan. His parents died when he was younger and he's very shy as a result. But I thought perhaps talking with someone else might help."

Princess nodded and eventually, she and Henry found themselves after a couple of shots going up to the roof without Jiaying or Cal. Nobody could really stop them since anyone could go up in this hotel if they wanted. But it was just a breathtaking sight from the top. The cool air breeze, the small lights from the town bellow, it all seemed like something out of a fairytale.

"So you're name's not really Princess, is it?" Henry finally asked, taking a swing of the beer he and Princess had taken from downstairs.

"Ha-ha! No." Princess replied, taking a swing of her own beer, "I just changed it because it was the name my parents gave me, and I wanted to try and get rid of any ties to them."

"Why?" Henry asked.

Princess finished her beer and then sighed.

"They always wanted a boy instead of a girl." She explained, "Every day they'd beg me to go try out for the girl's swimming team, or go join the soccer team. I guess they hoped I'd be a tomboy at the very least. However, my passion was in helping animals."

She paused and thought back on something she never realized so long ago.

"See," She continued, "One day I saw an injured dog on the streets with a little kid yelling for me to help. I just got down and managed to give it CPR by finding out where it was breathing and then working my way from there. I barely managed to save it, but it lived. I actually felt like I was worth something."

"And your parents didn't feel the same way?" Henry asked.

"No." Princess answered, "They just laughed at me and said to get with the times. That's why when I won the school money raffle, I imminently went as far away as I could from them so I could start over."

She sighed. She was beginning to feel why she had asked Cal to join her, but seeing as how she had talked this far, she might as well tell Henry.

"Can I tell you a secret?" She asked, "It's something I've been keeping to myself for about a week or two before I called Cal to meet with him."

"Sure." Henry shrugged.

Princess nodded.

"My parents just died." She explained, "I know it sounds shellfish to say, especially after you lost yours and probably don't even remember them…but I just found out about two weeks ago. They were driving to see my Aunt and it was late. Dad apparently had a stroke on the wheel as they were pulling up and they…"

She covered her eyes with her hands as Henry held her tightly.

"They all died…" Princess sobbed, "All my family is dead. I want to go back and see them, but I'm worried that if I do, everything I worked for, all my classes…it'll be for nothing. You see where I'm coming from?"

"I do." Henry said, patting her back, "I do. I might not've known my parents, but Jiaying has been like a mother to me. Apparently they died trying to protect me."

Princess looked up at him confused.

"What do you mean?" She asked.

"Can I tell you a secret?" He asked.

Princess nodded.

"Look down." He told her.

Princess did so and gasped. Where she had expected to see the floor of the apartment, instead she saw the entire village a good number of feet below them. Princess's mouth hung open as she held onto Henry tightly for dear life.

"Henry…" She asked, "How…?!"

"Don't be scared." He assured.

Princess looked at him funny.

"Scared?!" She asked, amazed, "How can I be scared?! This…this is incredible!"

Henry looked shocked.

"You're…you're not scared?" He asked.

"No!" She declared, "This is amazing! How are you doing this?!"

"I'm not supposed to say." Henry admitted, "But since you have a right to know, I'm part of a select number of special individuals. It's a group where we end up going through a mist that alters our DNA and gives us random abilities. My parents died protecting me from some men who tried taking in our grandparents. Fortunately, I was saved by Jiaying and her people who took me in and showed me how to use my ability after it developed."

Princess waited to take all this in.

"So Jiaying has one of these powers too?" She asked.

"Yeah." Henry admitted, "She's a healer."

Princess nodded again.

"Why are you telling me all this?" She asked, "I think you've made it sound like you could get in serious trouble for explaining all this to me."

Henry sighed.

"It's because hearing your story." He admitted, "It's reminded me of an important lesson my people have; always stick together. And you seem like someone who needs someone who they can talk to and trust."

Princess nodded.

"Thank you." She said.

"I'll go with you, if you want." He explained.

"What?" She asked.

"I can fly you back to America if you want to go visit your family one last time and then we can come back here." He explained, "Unless you'd rather…"

"No." She said, simply, "No, we can do that. Thank you, Henry."

Henry nodded.

"So, shall we go back down now?" He asked.

"Not yet." She smiled, wrapping her arms around his neck, "Let's just stay up here a while."

"Really?" He asked.

Princess nodded.

"What should we talk about then?" He asked.

Princess smiled.

"Nothing." She told him, simply, "Let's just…enjoy the moment while it lasts."

He nodded. Soon, he picked her legs up with another hand and then cradled her in his arms. Princess never felt so happy to be able to speak to someone who was so understanding. Deep down, she was beginning to feel something for Henry.

It was love.

….

 _ **Richmond, London**_

 _ **The Present-Day…**_

Annastasia Boateng sat at the table as Tyler paced back and forth with the phone. He had made a few calls and threatened to blow up some detonators he had laid out if anyone tried anything. That included his Mother attempting to leave. He hadn't said where he placed the detonators, but if he didn't get his way, then any place on the map could get blown up from Big Ben to the Great Wall. Annastasia never believed her son could go this far, even after she had heard the news from what remained of S.H.I.E.L.D. that her son had been working for HYDRA this entire time. It scared her to her core.

"Tyler." She begged, "Please, think of what your doing. Think of your father, Tyler!"

"I am thinking about him, Mum." Tyler explained, checking the windows by the front house, "That's why I'm here now, in fact."

"You're not a bad person, Tyler." Annastasia urged, "You can still give it up and turn yourselves in."

"I didn't travel all this far, and kill so many people just to be put back in a cell." Tyler explained, "And I know you won't risk anyone else's life as long as I hold all the cards."

He looked at her seriously.

"I assume you think I'm doing this because I still stand by what I did for HYDRA." He explained, "The truth of the matter is that I'm done with HYDRA. I'm done with S.H.I.E.L.D. I'm done with taking orders from others. Right now, it's all about the two of us."

He leaned over next to her.

"In a few hours," He explained, "We'll be free from everyone and it'll just be the two of us as a happy family."

….

 _ **Meanwhile,**_

 _ **Heathrow Airport…**_

Franco never thought he'd ever go to London. When he was with the Mafia, he always figured he would be stuck where he was for the rest of his life, and that feeling only grew during the time he was kept with HYDRA. But surprisingly, as much as he still had some trust issues with S.H.I.E.L.D., he had to give them credit where it was due, it seemed like being an agent (or an asset in his case) had its benefits.

Unfortunately he wasn't here for sightseeing. It turned out that they just got word that the insane Brit Agent who secretly worked for HYDRA had escaped from his captivity and was just spotted in his mother's house making demands or else he'd blow up some nukes stashed away god-knows-where.

Arthur had called Franco up almost imminently after he heard the news and set him up with a cover story. Apparently, he was a liaison to Brigadier-General Glenn Talbot to take control of the situation seeing as how this Tyler Boateng nut was former HYDRA, and thus it made it an international incident. From there, Franco's task was simple; neutralize the threat, and take Tyler back home before anything else bad happened. It was bad enough that Senator Christian Ward went missing a couple hours ago (no doubt his little HYDRA brother most likely), and it seemed everyone agreed that they would NOT let another case tied to the US Government fail to make them look bad. This is where Franco came in. Tyler had known most of the people who joined except a handful like Franco who were only called to the scene if the situation was dire. Thus, Franco would be the best option for getting Tyler back in one piece.

Franco walked out of the airport until he saw his private car and got in, mentally preparing himself to face-down this maniac he was going to encounter. As the car left, he failed to notice a mysterious hooded figure following on a motorcycle.

….

 _ **Australia,**_

 _ **A Few Years Ago…**_

The Funeral was hard on Princess, but it was easy to get through with Henry at her side. She managed to say her farewells and then was back off to China to finish her Vet training. It went well and soon enough, she and Henry moved to Australia to open a little vet shop. Cal kept in contact with her, as did Jiaying. Apparently, things went over surprisingly well with them and even allowed Henry to marry Princess. Their wedding was in the hidden community that Henry had grown up in called 'Afterlife,' which was a hidden village which could only be located via transportation from a young man named 'Gordon' who was a teleporter, but whose transformation through the mist left him without his eyes. Fortunately, Jiaying had helped him adapt to this so Princess didn't have to worry about accidently being transported into a volcano or anything like that.

The wedding itself had been something out of a fairytale. While Henry had a fine suit made for him, Princess was given Jiaying's own wedding gown. She was worried at first about how these sheltered people might react to a human amongst them, but Jiaying personally vouched for Princess and so nobody questioned her presence and was very supportive of her as Cal helped her down the aisles seeing as she unfortunately had nobody in her family left to escort her. After the wedding, the two took a brief honeymoon to London before settling down in Australia to build their new home. Her mother and father had once told her that life would not be like a fairy tale for her, but as far as Princess was concerned, she was living one right now. She had a wonderful husband, a beautiful home, some supportive and powerful friends…everything she could ever ask for and more. For what seemed to once be impossible, Princess had found happiness with Henry. Since they built their home in Australia and set up their little Vet Clinic, Princess's business had been booming, but a few months ago she discovered there would be another thing booming soon.

Princess smiled as she walked down the steps of their house. She was dressed in a white silk robe and smiled as her husband came to greet her. He was already up making eggs for her in the kitchen when she walked into the room. He nodded as he placed his hand on her stomach. It was tight and bulging, with Princess already on the eighth month of her pregnancy.

Unfortunately, they had no idea how they were going to deliver the baby. They had tried contacting Jiaying and Cal as soon as they discovered they would be having a baby, but neither had heard from them in a while. Rumor had it that Jiaying had a child herself recently, but with nobody from Afterlife coming to visit, they had no idea what to do. All they knew so far when they went for normal treatment was that the child was going to be a girl. It was unclear however, whether that girl would be healthy or not.

"It's all right, Henry." Princess laughed as he put his hand off of her, "I can tell when you're worried. I'm sure Jiaying and Cal are doing just fine."

"I hope so…" Henry said, "So have you thought more on the name yet?"

Princess was about to answer but at that moment, the front doors of the house were blown open. Henry quickly got ontop of Princess and shielded her. The windows were then shattered as men in dark army gear stormed the house. Before anyone knew what was happening, Henry was taken away from Princess and slugged in the gut.

"HENRY!" She screamed.

The men put a sack over his head and most of them left with him, while a few stayed behind.

"Who's this woman?" One of the guys asked.

"WHERE DID YOU TAKE MY HUSBAND?!" Princess screamed, hysterically.

"I think it's his wife." One of them guessed, "Normal human. Should we take her out?"

Before anyone could say or do anything else, the backroom door was flung open as Cal rushed in there with a machine gun. Some of the soldiers loosened their grip on Princess enough for her to push them off her. Seeing as how one of them was getting ready to fire at her, Princess slid down, throwing a fist up as she passed between the guy's legs. The guy fell over and she grabbed the gun, running outside in time to see Henry being put in the helicopter.

"HENRY!" She screamed.

Unfortunately, the soldiers heard her and shut the door as the copter took off. What happened next seemed almost like a blur to Princess. Perhaps it was fight or flight reaction, but seeing as how some men were advancing towards her with guns, Princess raised her firearm and began shooting as many as she could. She ignored everything going around her. She wanted them to suffer for screwing with her on a happy day like today.

Soon enough, she had felled all of them and dropped her weapon, taking a moment to breathe. However, she then heard Cal screaming from behind her.

"PRINCESS LOOK OUT!" He yelled.

She turned around just in time to see him knock into one last soldier who was aiming a gun at her. However, the shot fired and Princess found her right elbow grazed. She felt dazed and before she knew it, she fell to the ground unconscious. She didn't know how long she passed out for, but all the while, she kept imagining the unknown assailants breaking into her home and stealing her happiness away from her.

When she awoke later, she found Cal kneeling over her.

"Princess!" He declared, "Oh, thank god. You made it."

"Cal…" She said weakly.

Suddenly, she remembered everything that happened and quickly sat upright only to find her lower body was in tremendous pain.

"Cal…" She groaned, trying to get all the answers out at once, "What happened?! Where's Henry?! What's going on?!"

"Princess!" Cal demanded, "Calm down. I'll explain everything, but you need to calm down."

Princess took a deep breath and then nodded.

"Okay." She declared, "What's going on?"

"That was HYDRA." Cal explained, sadly.

"HYDRA?!" Princess asked, amazed, "But how?! I thought they were defeated around the end of World War II!"

"So did a lot of people." Cal admitted, "They took Jiaying and I've been tracking them for a while. I had no idea they were going after Henry. I didn't even know you two had built a home here, and I'm sorry I didn't try to get in touch sooner. But I promise you, I'll make it up to you."

"Cal…" Princess asked, groaning, "Why is my lower body in pain?"

Cal sighed.

"When you were hit," He explained, "Your body was operating involuntarily and your water broke…"

Princess's eyes widened.

"My baby!" She declared frantically, "What's happened to my baby?!"

"Calm down, Princess…" Cal said reaching behind him and handing something incredible over to her.

It was a small infant wrapped in Cal's own coat.

"Oh…my…god…" Princess cried cradling the child close to her, "Cal…"

She looked at the child regrettably.

"Cal…I can't keep her." She said.

Cal looked at her shocked.

"What?!" He demanded.

"I can't keep her here when some goddamn Nazis are out there doing who knows what to my husband. I need to keep her safe. We need to send her to an orphanage in America. Switch things up." Princess said, holding the child close for what would probably be the last time.

"Wait, why?!" Cal asked.

Princess looked at him seriously.

"Because I'm going with you." She said, with determination in her voice.

"No." Cal replied, "Out of the question."

"I already said those guys have Henry." Princess replied, "I'm not stopping until I'm with him again. Nothing you or anyone else will say or do is going to change that."

Cal wanted to argue, but he could see Princess was 100% committed to her plan, and he shouldn't argue with her.

"All right." He nodded, "But let's get that child back home first like you said."

"Right." Princess replied.

"So what's her name anyways?"

Princess looked at her daughter and nodded.

"Tracey." She said, "After my Mom."

….

 _ **Richmond, London**_

 _ **Outside the home of Annastasia Boateng**_

 _ **Present-Day…**_

Franco pulled up in front of the house of Tyler's Mom and saw the millions of British Police Cars assembled in front of the house. He took a moment to prepare himself before he stepped out and approached a tall-looking guy with a medium-sized beard and uniform which indicated him as the highest authority. As he saw Franco approaching, he looked at him shocked.

"Excuse me!" He declared as if Franco was a maniac, "Sir, this is a serious crime scene here."

"Alright, Sir." Franco nodded, taking out the fake credentials he had found in the car left for him by Arthur, "I'm Agent Rodrick Ramone, liaison to Brigadier-General Glenn Talbot. I'm not sure if you're aware, but the man in there is affiliated with HYDRA, and therefore it falls within my jurisdiction to asses and diffuse the situation before things get completely out of hand."

The officer looked at him amazed, as the credentials passed like a charm, before shaking his hand.

"I'm sorry, sir." He said, "I'm Chief Superintendent Simon Wright."

"It's all right." Franco assured, "We were shocked ourselves when we found this information out. Just give me the situation, so I can help coordinate you lot better."

"Well," Simon explained, "We'd usually call in the Chief Officer to coordinate with you, but since he's sick and you seem to have the most authority here, this is what you need to know; he's a one-man kidnapper in there. We believe he's with his mother in the downstairs kitchen in the back of the house. How do you think we should proceed?"

Franco thought for a few minutes, before he finally turned to face the Chief Superintendent.

"Okay." He said, "Set up a few men around the back and tell them to find some good cover. You lot back up to give the guy some space as I try to talk him out. My orders are to bring him in quietly and in one piece. I think we can all agree it'd work better if he believe we give into him first. Wait for me to give the signal and then you all start shooting some tranq darts into his system at the first word I give."

"Right, sir." The Chief Superintendent nodded.

In a few moments everything was in place. Next, Franco was given a loudspeaker after kindly asking for one and spoke into there with loud and purposeful authority.

"Hello!" He called, into the loudspeaker, "This is special agent Rodrick Ramone. I'm here to discuss your terms that you wished us to give you, in return for the safety of the woman you are holding, and for the assurance that you will not activate your bombs. Please approach the window so we may discuss this like civilized men."

….

 _ **Inside…**_

"All right, Mom." Tyler said, pulling his mother up from her chair, "That's our cue."

"Tyler, please!" She said, "You can't force me to do this!"

"I already made you do something once before, Mom." Tyler explained, "And I will NOT let you get killed because of my mistake."

Annastasia looked at her son amazed.

"What?" She asked.

"Why do you think I made you stay so far away from everyone after I joined S.H.I.E.L.D., Mom?" He asked, "Why do you think I insisted you never see anyone again? Why do you think that I insisted you stick to your regular phone instead of using the new HAMMER Phones? I did it to keep you safe, Mom. I made that my only condition to Igraine when I agreed to help her and HYDRA. I would only do the job if they spared your life."

Annastasia continued to look at her son shocked as he nodded.

"It wasn't easy, but I did it." He explained, "If it had worked, you would've seen how much better the world would've been…"

He was cut off when Annastasia slapped him across the face.

"SHUT UP!" She screamed, tears starting to flow from her cheeks, "YOU DON'T GET TO SAY THAT! YOU'RE NOT THE SON I RAISED! HE WAS PERFECT, CAREFREE, AND VALUED HUMAN LIFE AS MUCH AS HIS OWN!"

She took deep breaths before continuing to speak.

"I'm ashamed to have been your mother and I wish I had known what you'd become." She spat, "I would've ended you then, but now…I'm leaving you, Tyler."

She began to walk away, when she noticed he had grabbed her arm.

She looked at him with pity.

"Tyler, please." She said, forcefully, "You just said yourself you don't have the courage to kill me."

Tyler let go as she began to walk out. However, Tyler still had his last ace in the hole, and pulled out his detonator.

"I still have this!" He said, "You walk out that door, and I will blow something up!"

"I'd like to see you try." She replied, now beginning to doubt he even planted any bombs at all.

"ONE!" Tyler yelled, with a warning.

However, as she reached the back door, she saw something through one of the windows. It was a red beam of light. Tracing the pathway, she saw to her horror that it was over Tyler's heart, and he wasn't paying attention because he was still focused on her.

"TWO!" He declared.

At that moment, Annastasia wasn't sure why she did what she did next. Perhaps it was because she was still Tyler's mother and she still cared for him no matter what. Maybe it was because with all the meaningless death and carnage that went on in the world these days, she didn't want to see it happen to anyone else. Whatever the case, Annastasia leapt in front of the target. Tyler looked surprised, but his surprise was replaced with fear when he heard a shot fired. The next thing that happened was the glass from the window his Mom had moved in front of broke. Then a sickening sound could be heard of a bullet hitting a target. Tyler looked in shock as did his Mom at what had happened.

Then a small red stain began to grow over her heart. Annastasia Tyler then dropped to the ground, dead.

"MOM!" Tyler screamed, horrified, "NO!"

This couldn't be happening. It was like someone had walked in, ripped his heart from his chest, and ate it with sadistic glee. Tyler's whole world had been stolen from him again. He only felt this way once before and it was when he learned his own Father had died. Tyler was now all alone and had nothing left to care for anymore. Desmond was alive, but they had brainwashed him into being a loyal agent to S.H.I.E.L.D. Tyler had no one left who believed in him.

Suddenly, his phone vibrated and he checked it. It was from Ward.

' _Troubles? HYDRA can help you. This time for real. Come to this address within 24 Hours. If not, then you're on your own.'_

Following that, there were coordinates which was no doubt HYDRA's new HQ. Tyler sat on his knees for a minute before deciding. He didn't like the idea of working again so soon, but seeing as how he was a man without a mission and he sure as hell didn't want to be taking orders from Arthur again, he felt his best bet was to regroup with HYDRA.

Suddenly, he heard people approaching from outside. No doubt the people he called, deciding the time for diplomacy was over. That worked fine. Diplomacy was over for him as well. He pressed the trigger button and waited.

…

 _ **Outside…**_

Franco didn't know what the hell just happened, but the minute he heard what had to be a sniper followed but a scream, he knew he had to get everyone inside and apprehend Tyler as soon as possible.

As he took one step forward, he felt something underneath the ground. Pausing, he listened closely and his eyes widened when he heard a beeping noise.

"BACK!" He screamed, "HE BOOBY-TRAPPED THE OUTDOORS AROUND THE HOUSE, GET BACK!"

Everyone quickly did so, but Franco knew there wouldn't be enough time to survive the blast. He had to use his powers, but do so in a way that no one would notice.

Acting quickly, he concentrated as hard as he could and began to move the earth beneath them in order to push the bombs down further into the ground. He kept pushing quickly, not knowing when they'd go off, or how powerful an explosion they'd give off.

Eventually, the ground beneath them exploded, but it was not one of great flames which would've engulfed them all. Instead, it merely sent them flying back on their asses, leaving most unconscious. However, all the tests and all the workouts he had done after leaving that HYDRA hellhole allowed Franco to get back on his two feet just in time to see Tyler leaving the house. With that, Franco gave chase into the forest behind his house. Running faster, Franco almost thought he had caught him when Tyler spun around, aiming a gun at his head.

"You know, even for a special agent to Talbot, you seem overly-obsessed over trying to take me in." Tyler pointed out, "If I didn't know any better, I'd say that you were another kind of agent."

 _Well shit._ Franco thought to himself.

Before anyone could say anything else, however, Tyler found himself collapsing to the ground as a bullet hit his knee, causing him to go down.

It was then that another new face joined the party. From the trees above, a mysterious figure dressed in black landed on his two feet and rose so that Franco could see him clearly. He looked as though he was around 28, with short black hair, and had icy blue eyes. Along his jawline was a scar, and he was wearing a black bodysuit stocked to the brim with weapons and explosives.

Before Franco could say anything else, the man pulled a Fairbairn-Sykes fighting knife from his boot and held it to Tyler's throat.

"Woah!" Franco said, "What the hell do you think you're doing?!"

"This man is HYDRA." The newcomer explained, "He deserves to die!"

"Yeah." Franco explained, sarcastically, "See, that's the thing. He's a HYDRA Agent and he's a piece of crap, yes, but he needs to live. Personal business, I hope you can understand that."

"I'm afraid I can't." The man shot back without a hint of humor in his voice, "Now get lost! This kill's mine!"

Before the man could cut Tyler's throat, he found himself knocked back by a rock that seemed to come from nowhere. The man was sent flying back until he hit a tree, and then groaned as he got back on his feet. He could see Franco, using his powers to create a stone shield and sword.

"I'm afraid I can't let you take this man, or explain why I can't let you take this man." Franco explained, "Now you either leave now, or I'll put you down."

The man responded by pulling out a Sig P226 pistol, and firing at Franco. Franco blocked with his stone shield, but it was clear that this nut was gonna break on through eventually. So Franco pushed forward and slashed at the guy's chest, causing a noticeable wound that wouldn't hurt him, but cause the newcomer to stagger back. Franco turned his sword into a rock knuckleduster and prepared to take him out, but was stopped when the newcomer fired his gun into Franco's chest, causing him to focus more on what was at hand at this moment.

"You're good…" Franco acknowledged.

"Not good…" The newcomer admitted, "The greatest."

"We'll see…"

With that, Franco swept around at the guy's feet, sending him landing on his back and on the ground. With that, Franco gave a swift boot to the head, not enough to kill him, but enough to knock him out. Smirking, he went back to get Tyler but saw to his horror that Tyler was long gone.

 _Arthur's going to kill me…_ Franco thought to himself, but then looked back at the mysterious attacker.

 _Then again…_ He thought, realizing something.

….

 _ **The Playground,**_

 _ **Later…**_

The man woke up to find he was in a metal chair and cuffed to said chair. In front of him was a desk and another chair at the end of the desk. Suddenly the door opened and in walked a man in his mid-twenties with short red hair holding a folder. He smiled as he took a seat at the opposite end.

"Jason Steele." The man said, "My name is Arthur Williams. Might I say it's an honor and relief to see you alive and well."

Jason stopped as Arthur opened the file.

"You are a tough man to find, though." Arthur explained, "We've been looking for you and your brother ever since the fall of S.H.I.E.L.D. You were a good agent before everything went wrong. You and your brother were part of the 42 Commando Unit British Royal Marines, then you were a sniper for them, and then you both worked as agents for S.H.I.E.L.D. where you had a lovely girlfriend who was a good hacker for us before she got killed by HYDRA the day everything changed. From there, we had no idea where you were or what you were doing. Now we know most of the missing parts until now. You've been killing HYDRA Agents all over North America. You know HYDRA actually refers to you as 'The Lone Wolf?' True story."

He put the file down and looked at him sternly, all manners of cheerfulness gone.

"Then we find you over in London where you shot and killed Tyler's Mother. Then when one of my friends who knows a guy, who knows another guy brought you in, you were apparently mumbling some kind of coordinates that we believe are of use to us. You want to explain why?"

Jason looked at Arthur seriously and gave a long drawn out sigh.

"I don't know what happened." He admitted, "I was hunting HYDRA in the States and then the next thing I knew, I woke up fighting that friend of yours."

"So someone put you up to this against your will." Arthur pointed out, "And since I doubt it's Asgard, I feel as though it's going to be something much worse than HYDRA on the horizon. Unfortunately, you let someone real important get away, but we're convincing the US Government to let us find something that could make up for that. Of course, what happens next is going to be your choice."

Jason looked at him suspiciously.

"What is my choice?" He asked.

"Well," Arthur said, "There are two options here, Mr. Steele. One is that you get thrown in one of the worst prisons in existence that makes every S.H.I.E.L.D. Jail Cell look like Guantanamo Bay, and makes Guantanamo Bay look like a nice day at the beach. You'll be locked up with some of the worst criminals, under constant surveillance and monitoring, unable to get into any fights with anyone until you die. The penalty for trying to escape from said prison is usually death by an electric chair and I really don't think you want that considering the other alternative I'm going to give you."

"And what alternative is that?" Jason asked.

Arthur grinned.

"A chance to rejoin S.H.I.E.L.D." Arthur said, simply, "You say yes to this, and we'll forget the whole fight ever happened. You'll be back on my team, being able to work with some of the best weapons and gadgets we have available. Plus, if you ever get caught, I have a few connections. Say if you were put in a cell, you might find some guards who just happen to win the lottery at the same time and leave the place empty and tools for you to use to escape."

Jason nodded. He had to admit, he was intrigued.

"And I promise you this above all else." Arthur added, becoming serious, "I will move heaven and earth to try and help find any other S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent out there still missing which includes your brother. Because one family was ripped apart tonight, and that shouldn't mean that you have to loose yours forever."

Jason sat there, but eventually smirked at Arthur.

…...

 _ **Later…**_

Katie had to admit it was weird that they were already picking up yet another new agent so late into the game. But it seemed they were going to need all the help they could get. Now that there was someone with powers and abilities in the game, they had to move up the time-table and find whatever it was that strange map led to. Fortunately, Coulson and his team had returned and finally had a location for where the map matched up in.

So why had Coulson called Katie in to talk to her after speaking with Arthur? She honestly had no idea.

As she took a seat, she took a deep breath, having a feeling she wasn't going to like where this was headed.

"I ran into Skye's Dad." Phil explained.

Katie looked at him shocked.

"What?" Katie asked.

"I ran into him when we were pinpointing the signal for the location of the map." Coulson continued.

"Sir…" Katie asked, "Why are you telling me this…"

"Because apparently he said he met you when I spoke to him." Phil answered.

Katie's heart froze.

"When?!" She demanded.

"He said it was during the mission your team had in San Diego." Phil continued, "He said that he had a good chat with you."

Katie's heart began to sink even further. The guy who said he had helped give birth to her. That was Skye's dad. But she couldn't tell anyone still. Part of her wanted to tell Phil, she wanted to spill everything that happened out, but knew it would only lead to bad places. Plus, it would mean putting more stress on Arthur, and she was sure that he didn't want to go through another parent problem again.

So instead, Katie lied to him.

"No, sir." She told him, "I don't believe we ever met. There were a lot of people at the convention and I can't say for sure I ever had prolonged contact with him."

"Are you sure?" Phil asked.

"Yes." She nodded.

"Very well." Phil replied, "I think that's all for today. Dismissed, Agent Sheila."

Katie left and imminently ran into her room and grabbed her pillow which she sobbed into. She felt her whole world was diminishing and there were few people she could trust. She only hoped this mission would put an end to it, and then she'd be able to leave her mother behind.

…

 _ **Austria,**_

 _ **A Few Years Ago…**_

It had been a few years since they last saw Princess's child, but their leads had brought them to Austria where someone said they might've seen something. Cal lead the way, and then told Zelda to wait as he checked the surroundings. As he moved forward he saw something and ran ahead. He looked down horrified to see his wife's corpse, having been cut open and left to rot here in the fields bellow. He held his wife closely to him. He was sure he could fix her, but he'd need the right time and equipment to do so. But he made a vow that day. He swore that he would tear apart the man who tore his own world apart.

Then Cal saw something out of the corner of his eye. A hand which bore a ring on there that he recognized from a wedding he and Jiaying had held at Afterlife years prior.

"Cal, what is it?!" Princess asked.

"Princess, don't look!" Cal warned.

He knew how distraught Princess had gotten in the past few years. They both had to harden themselves to get this far, but both of them would keep the other in-check if things went too far. However, Zelda had changed the most from this experience. She had become more violent and more rage-prone than Cal could've ever imagined in recent years. Additionally, she had stopped caring for her hair and dyed it blonde at some point, and even began wearing contact lenses. However, her main concern seemed to be finding Henry and seeing him like this would surely break her.

However, Princess was still moving forward as Cal tried to hold her back. Unfortunately, she caught sight of the hand and noticed the ring on the finger as her eyes widened.

"No…" She whispered, her eyes beginning to shed tears.

He couldn't be…not after everything they went through…

"HENRY!" She screamed, pushing Cal back with all the force of a football athlete.

Running over to the hand, she dropped to her knees and cried when she saw what it was. Her husband had been cut into different pieces with various wounds in different body parts. His head was left there with half of the skin on the right side missing along with an eyeball. His brains had also spilled all over the ground and different cuts had run up and down all of his severed body parts with various muscle, skin, and organs leaking out from there. It was a gruesome sight and Princess felt completely devastated by what she had to come to terms with now. All of those years looking for Henry…she had failed. He was dead and there was nothing she could do to bring him back.

She cried, holding his hand with the ring still on it tightly as Cal went over to her.

"Princess!" He declared, "I'm sorry. I really am sorry! But Henry's dead. We can't bring him back, but we can get revenge on the people who stole our lives from us. I have an idea, but we're going to need to fix Jiaying in order to make it work. In order to do that, I'm going to need your help. I'm sorry that I can't fix Henry, but I can fix Jiaying and MAYBE we can make the ones who did this to us pay. I just need you to trust me…as a friend. Like Henry did for you."

Princess remained there, as she remembered what Henry had told her when he revealed his powers to her.

'Always important to stick together.'

Princess nodded, slowly taking the ring from Henry's dead corpse and putting it in her pocket.

"Okay, Cal." She said, softly, "I'll help. But you have to promise me something as well."

"What?" Cal asked.

Princess turned around and looked directly at him. Tears were now flowing from her eyes and down her cheeks like a waterfall, but her eyes were filled with hatred the likes of which Cal had probably never seen before.

"THIS ISN'T OVER UNTIL I'VE KILLED THAT BASTARD AND ANYONE WHO PROTECTS HIM!" She screamed, "YOU HEAR ME! HE HAS TO PAY FOR WHAT HE'S DONE TO ME AND MY FAMILY! HE TOOK MY HENRY!"

"Princess, calm down!" Cal demanded.

Princess took a deep breath and nodded.

"He'll pay for what he's done to everyone." He assured, "I promise you. When the time's right, we'll rip him apart. Together."

Princess nodded and hugged Cal tightly, as tears continued falling freely from her eyes again.

"Thank you, Cal." She cried, "Thank you for always being there for me, even when you didn't have to."

Cal nodded. He had a wife and daughter to be concerned of, but now he also had to be concerned for Princess too. She was innocent when he had met her, and now thanks to HYDRA, she had become something different. Something monstrous. Cal would have to do the same at some point, but he also promised that day that he'd keep a close eye on his friend because it was clear she would need someone to talk to still, now more than ever.

Meanwhile, Princess made another promise to herself that day as well. She would make sure her daughter would pass through those mists when she was old enough. She'd be able to preserve her husband's Inhuman legacy no matter what the cost. One way or another, his bloodline in the Inhumans would not end here and Princess would ensure that.

…...

 _ **An Unknown HYDRA Facility**_

 _ **Present-Day…**_

Princess sighed as she opened her eyes. The memory was still painful, but she trusted it would be over soon. Soon she would end this stupid 'alliance' with HYDRA and would settle for ripping Whitehall's damned head off and then mutilating it until nothing was left. She would have her revenge and then she and her daughter would be together. It had taken many years and cost many things, but Katie was well worth it. Katie would be the daughter who Princess always yearned for and would go through the mist as Princess had always planned. Her only prayer was that Katie would be strong enough to survive it and that she would still be beautiful and healthy when she came out. But seeing as how Katie was born after the tragedy that sent Princess on the path to killing Whitehall and how Katie was an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. who apparently saved the world one time, Princess had to imagine Katie would be strong enough to survive.

There was a knock on the door.

"Come in." She called.

With that, Cal entered and smiled.

"You haven't been out for a while." He told her.

"Sorry." She said, "Just…I was remembering him."

"I know." Cal said, holding her hand, "He was a good man and he didn't deserve to die like that. Nobody should."

"Except all the HYDRA guys we're going to kill when the time's right." Princess said.

"Yeah." Cal nodded, "By the way; everything's in place."

Princess's eyes lit up as she looked up at him.

"So Katie will be there?" She asked.

"She will be." Cal assured, "And I convinced Whitehall to let you talk to her before she goes in while I speak with Daisy."

Princess felt happy for a few minutes which might've been the happiest she had been in a while, but then her smile faded.

"What?" Cal asked.

"I…uh…" Princess admitted, "I don't know what I'm supposed to do when I see her."

"You'll think of something." Cal assured.

"Cal…" Princess said with a small laugh, "What am I supposed to say? Just 'Hi, Katie. I'm your Mom that you never knew. Your father was killed by HYDRA agents who split him open and experimented on his organs before you were born and you're going to become something beautiful in a few minutes?'"

"So Henry was the father." Cal declared, "How'd it work?"

"Turns out one of my eggs was a couple months late to the party." Princess admitted, "But don't change the subject, Cal. This is something you should be thinking of for when you talk to Daisy as well. I'm asking you to help me here. What am I supposed to say that doesn't make her hate me like I did with my own Mom when I was her age?"

Cal gave her a minute to compose herself and then lifted her chin up so she was looking at him.

"Here's what you say;" he explained, "You say you've loved her no matter what, and that you are going to do anything for her to make amends for the past couple of years that you weren't there for her. You're doing this for her because you're her parent and as such, it's your job to keep her safe and strong."

Princess smiled.

"That sounds perfect." She smiled, "Thanks. Though I do have one question; did you come up with that on your own on the spot, or did you steal that from somewhere?"

"Come on, Princess." Cal smiled, playfully punching her arm softly.

"What?!" Princess laughed, "I was raised in Florida, remember? Stupid crap is supposed to spill out of my mouth all the time."

The two took a minute to laugh together, until they were done. Then Princess's stomach growled.

"You know you spent the whole day in there, right?" Cal asked.

"Really?!" Princess asked, amazed, "Wow! Time flies, huh?"

"Yeah…" Cal said, "Wanna get a bite to eat?"

"Gladly." Princess smiled.

With that, the two walked out only to bump into a new arrival. It was an African American man with short hair and chin hair with a black T-Shirt on who had two futuristic-looking mechanical arms instead of normal hands.

"Oh," Cal said, slapping his head laughing to himself, "I almost forgot. Princess, this is Tyler Boateng. Tyler, this is Princess; Katie's Mom. Tyler here is going to help get Katie back."

"You know my daughter?" Princess asked, curiously.

"Let's just say it's because of her and S.H.I.E.L.D. that I don't have regular hands now." Tyler told her, "However, because Cal told me all you want is to be reunited with your daughter, I will be more than happy to hand her off to you."

"That's nice of you to say." Princess told him, "I'd hate to think of what I'd have to do, if I found out you killed her."

With that, she and Cal walked off together. Tyler eying them suspiciously. He knew coming back here would have its ups and downs, but he hoped he could find a purpose to live again here with HYDRA.

…

 **So there you go, everyone! I told you I was going to give you more Princess/Cal, and I hope I delivered on my promise. Anyways, next chapter will be the moment you've been waiting for; the Inhuman Temple. Some will live, some will die, and new alliances will be forged. Plus, Katie and Princess; REUNITED. All that and the true identity of Princess will be revealed! Be here next time! As always, I own NOTHING but my OC's. This is for FAN-Purposes only, so PLEASE don't sue! Take care!**


	7. The Day When Everything Changed

**Hi, Everyone! Well, you waited and here we go! The mid-season point of the Spec-Ops Team 2! I'm sorry this took so long to make, but I made sure that this chapter was extra-long, and I came out with 53 Pages and 21,018 words! This is the part where everything changes and as promised, Katie and her Mom will be reunited and I guess as Rania would say "we get to find out what she will become." Also, a couple of OC's will be turned and some will die. I'd also like to mention for Chloe999, there's a part I haven't shown yet that you asked for with your OC, and if you haven't figured out by now how I'm going to pull it off, here it is. Finally, I'll point out this chapter will give some backstory to two characters we haven't seen since chapter one, but like what happened with Katie's Mom, expect to get a lot of emotional moments. So strap yourselves in and prepare to have your eyes popped out of your sockets even more than Nicholas Cage does when he's being Nicholas Cage on-screen. Anyways, hope you all enjoy this chapter. And as always, I own NOTHING but my OC's. This is for FAN-Purposes ONLY so please don't sue! Other than that, enjoy!**

 _ **The Playground…**_

"Arthur, please tell me you're not serious!" Desmond declared as he and Arthur walked down a hallway.

"I am 100% serious." Arthur responded, as he fixed his suit up.

"You're actually letting him join the team." Desmond declared, "Even after he shot my Aunt?!"

"First off," Arthur said, "Jason said that he wasn't even in control when he shot your Aunt. We have reason to believe that some kind of outside force was controlling him. Second, that conversation I had with him could've ended up going the way our transfer of Tyler and Ward went. So I hope this doesn't mean you're following the same path he is."

Desmond looked at the ground regrettably. This was one of the things he had expected to do at S.H.I.E.L.D., but he had hoped it wouldn't be this soon. Sometimes, the greater good meant making alliances that were bordering between acceptable and unacceptable. But Desmond still wanted to do good work with the organization, and seeing as how his cousin was still out there and misguided, he still wanted to work with S.H.I.E.L.D. and do everything he could to make sure they did right by his cousin. That meant working with the person who had murdered his Aunt, even if it had been under some kind of outside persuasion.

"No, sir." Desmond replied.

"Desmond," Arthur said, sympathetically, "Under these circumstances, you don't have to call me 'sir.' You have permission to address me as you like. We're all feeling the pinch right now."

Soon, they entered the Bus hangar where all the agents and personnel were assembled and awaiting for the Director to arrive. Phil soon came down from upstairs and Arthur stepped up to join him.

"Here's what we know;" Phil told everyone, "HYDRA's on the move. They have the obelisk and two experts who know how to use it, and we can't let that happen, obviously."

"Use it how?" Lance Hunter asked from the back of the hangar, as he leaned against a wall.

"Our intel says there's something very powerful inside it." Phil explained, "A weapon."

"Are we talking a chemical? Biological? Energy based?" Mack questioned.

"Could be anything." Fitz admitted, "It's alien."

"While Simmons and I were undercover at HYDRA," Bobbi elaborated, "Whitehall was looking to create an extinction-level event to kill millions of people. We have to assume that this weapon has the potential to do that."

"Because bad guys love their WMD's." Phil said, with a slight sense of humor, "The trick is, to activate the obelisk, HYDRA has to take it to a specific place. It's like they have the keys to launch a nuclear warhead…"

"But now they need the lock." Skye concluded, "A temple inside the city."

"Any idea what this temple is?" Simmons asked.

"I'm glad you asked." Phil smiled, "No."

"Well, there goes all my excitement." Arthur said, sarcastically.

"But," Phil noted, "It's in the city, and we now know where that is. But, even better; HYDRA doesn't know. Fitz?"

Fitz stepped up and activated a remote control gadget, which lit up a S.H.I.E.L.D. Holo-File before them. Skye stepped up and opened it, revealing a hologram of the entire planet Earth.

"On our mission to Australia, we hacked a military satellite network." Skye explained, "Using that, we worked a multi-spectral topographical scan of the Earth miles deep through the oceanic crust looking to match ancient rock formations with the 3D Model of the city. And…we found this."

Skye waved her hand over the globe and it zoomed in on a certain landmass.

"Isn't that in the Bermuda Triangle?" Triplett joked, "Because that would explain a lot."

"Actually," Arthur explained, "It has nothing to do with the triangle. S.H.I.E.L.D. solved that back in the 80's."

"When did you have time to look into those old cases?" Katie asked.

"Spare time." Arthur shrugged.

"Atlantis?" Trip asked.

"Try Puerto Rico." Phil continued before the conversation could veer off-topic, while Skye magnified the map further.

"These white markers," She pointed out, as the hologram went three-dimensional, "Represent vertical area shafts that are close to the surface. They're possible entry points for the city, but most of them are under the ocean floor."

"Except for one." Phil noted, pointing at a certain area marked, "Here. In old San Juan, we'll enter through to the ground city."

"A combined survey team will test the tunnel's structural integrity, then locate the temple." Arthur explained.

"Then what?" Simmons asked, unsure of their next move.

"We blow the hell out of it." Phil said, simply.

"Nice." Katie said, "My kind of plan."

Some of the others looked a tad more concerned though.

"What about the obelisk?" Bobbi asked, "It's still dangerous all on its own."

"One crisis at a time." Phil assured.

With that, everyone was dismissed and imminently got to work readying themselves for whatever assignment they were given next. As they left, Jessica gave a sigh of relief.

"You okay, Jess?" Faye asked.

"Yes." Jessica replied, "In fact, I'd never thought I'd say this, but I'm actually glad we'll be going there if only to see it blown up."

Faye nodded and then looked at her seriously.

"Hey, Jess?" She asked, "About you and Desmond…"

Jess looked at her funny.

"What about us?" She asked.

"You two aren't…you know?" Faye asked.

Jessica thought and then her eyes widened.

"What?!" Jessica asked, "No! Of course not! Why would you even say such a thing?!"

"I dunno." Faye admitted, "It just seems like you two got closer after you were cured of your obsessive writing is all."

"Faye." Jessica assured, "I'm completely fine. There's nothing going on between us. Look, Sabrina and Bruce are the romantics as far as I know. I assure you, from now on while I'm not working, I'm not having any kind of relationship with Desmond."

"Okay." Faye shrugged, "It's just…well, you are the one who watched a lot of romance movies remember."

With that she walked away. Jessica waited till she was out of view and then turned a corner to catch Desmond walking away.

….

 _ **Meanwhile,**_

 _ **An unknown HYDRA Base…**_

Cal opened the door to see Princess looking in the mirror at two dresses. One of them was a light blue dress and the other was a light green one.

"We're moving out in a few minutes." Cal explained.

"I know…" Princess sighed, "I'm just…I want to try and find the right kind of dress I should wear."

Cal walked up behind her and pointed at the light green dress.

Princess nodded and twirled her fingers for Cal to look away. He did so as she slipped on her new clothes.

"I'm really excited to finally talk to her." She said, "I'm almost as excited for that as to see what'll happen to her."

"Yeah." Cal said, looking at his friend's pet snake, "Princess…I've been meaning to talk to you about that…"

"You can look now." She said, as Cal looked back at her as she put on some green heels, "Look, Cal…we've already discussed this, she has her father's DNA in her so it should help her through the experience…"

"I know we've discussed that." Cal nodded, "It's just…you know how some people came out of those mists. Gordon…that poor misshapen girl who had her spine unbalanced…what if something like that happens to Katie? How do you know she's not going to turn into…let's say a half-wolf creature or she'll lose the ability to survive without a constant supply of water like a fish?"

"Cal…" Princess begged, "I'm positive about that she'll be fine. Katie's a fighter and I have complete faith that it'll all work out."

"Then why is it that you've been so nervous in the last few days leading up to this?" Cal questioned.

"Call it anticipation for the transformation and reunion with my daughter, and the fact that I'll finally be able to rip Whitehall's head off." Princess smiled, "And also, I have this for her."

She went over to a nearby table and pulled out a small box, opening it, she revealed a special ring Cal recognized.

"Henry's ring…" He said amazed, "Even after all these years."

"I wanted to give it to Katie when she was old enough." Princess said, "It's the least I could do for her since she'll never meet her father."

Cal hugged her tightly.

"Then I guess it's settled then." He smiled.

Princess nodded.

"Best day ever." He nodded, "For both of us."

…

 _ **Meanwhile,**_

 _ **The Bus…**_

Katie strapped herself into the Quinjet seat next to Abby, and Tabatha as AJ took the controls. They were going to join May, Triplett, Skye, Lance, and the Koening brothers to secure Raina who had been found trying to be abducted by HYDRA. Worst yet was the fact that apparently the Koening's had spotted someone who looked like Agent 33 and also Maya Katrina, both of whom were innocent people until HYDRA brainwashed them into serving their beliefs.

Katie had been given a rundown by Bobbi during a sparring session in which she had beaten Katie without breaking a sweat faster than Arthur had ever managed to do so. Apparently, HYDRA possessed this machine that could rewrite memories and now apparently both had those poor women had been given this treatment. Although Katie felt even guiltier when Bobbi mentioned she saw what one of Whitehall's second-best-minds, Roger James Smith, had done to Maya after she failed to kill Katie at that fundraising event. Apparently, Roger had been so enraged that he actually brainwashed Maya into believing that when HYDRA had adopted her at a young age, she had been sterilized and now her body actually believed that she couldn't give birth to any children anymore, and apparently this had made Maya even more deadlier.

As she took one last look out the door, she saw Arthur giving her an encouraging smile and a thumbs up. Smiling softly, she gave a thumbs up back as well and the door closed, and the plane left.

Arthur didn't tell her, but he was trying to keep her safe from all this madness. Apparently, Coulson had explained his run-in with Skye's Dad and told Arthur that apparently Katie's mom had something big planned for them soon. Arthur assumed it was whatever the hell this place they were going to was, and figured it would be best to not let Katie anywhere near there until the time was right.

….

 _ **Later,**_

 _ **Vancouver…**_

"Is this it?" Katie asked, as she and Skye approached the room the Koening's had said they were staying in.

"Yep." Skye noted, knocking on the door.

The two waited until they heard a voice.

"Lanyard please!"

Skye and Katie groaned as Skye took hers out and used it on the door swipe card, and it opened revealing one of the brothers (it was really hard to tell the difference between them,) and Raina.

"Come on, Sam." Skye pointed out.

"I'm Billy." Billy pointed out, "Sam's the shorter one."

"Right." Skye noted, "Well, we need to move."

Raina looked at them confused. Katie was getting a bit annoyed.

"Come on!" She urged.

Raina nodded and hurried forward. The group checked to make sure the coast was clear before going down the opposite hallway that Skye and Katie had arrived from. However, as they reached the end, they were surprised when someone who looked like Melinda May appeared and started attacking Skye. Though Katie didn't need to be told that it was really Agent 33. Apparently she had been using one of those holomeshes, but whereas Katie had managed to disable Maya's, Agent 33's had left her with one noticeable difference from May. On her right eye was a large chunk of flesh missing, revealing some muscle skin underneath. It almost looked as what Freddy Kruger might've looked like if he had only gotten one part of his face burned rather than his entire body. Wasting no time, Katie, Billy, and Raina moved back in the opposite direction. They reached the end, but then Katie heard footsteps coming from behind her and saw Maya Katrina running her way.

"Go!" She urged to Billy and Raina who left without any hesitation.

Maya crouched down as she continued forward and then leapt up into the air, grabbing hold of the chandelier above her and then using it to swing forward and kick Katie in the head. Katie went down and her hand went for her gun, but Maya simply knocked the gun out of Katie's reach and began to punch away at her face. Turning to her left, Katie noticed a table nearby. Reaching out as best she could, she grabbed the table and pulled up enough so that it crashed on top of Maya. She went down and Katie managed to crawl her way out from under there. However, as she rose to her feet, Katie felt something grab her leg. Looking back, she saw Maya holding onto her leg tighter than she thought possible.

Katie simply turned and kicked in in the face with her foot. Maya let go and Katie took this opportunity to lead her away from Billy and Raina. Running down the hallway until she was by another chandelier, Katie waited for Maya to get close enough before she took two small bombs from her pocket and threw them upwards before ducking. They went off, creating an explosion that wasn't terribly large, but was big enough to send the chandelier down on top of Maya. However, she grinned as she grabbed some nearby broken glass from the broken distraction and threw them at Katie. The S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent screamed in pain as she was cut hard along the side of her face. Maya smirked as she grabbed the gun, getting ready to kill Katie.

However, at that moment two icer shots went into her back and she went down revealing one of the Koening's behind her. Katie nodded as he helped her up.

"Thanks, Billy." Katie nodded.

"Sam!" Sam replied, annoyed, "Billy's the shorter one."

"Do we have Raina secured?" Katie asked.

"Yep." Sam replied.

"Then let's get out of here to go help Arthur and the others." Katie declared.

….

 _ **Meanwhile,**_

 _ **San Juan, Puerto Rico…**_

Arthur walked away from Bobbi's contact as she and Phil went up to finish the conversation. He wondered if perhaps after they took care of HYDRA that he should take a vacation here. Katie would probably like it here since this was sometimes a good spot for a bunch of spring breaker's to hang out in; lots of beaches, a little slice of other cultures, it really seemed a nice place he and his team could go if it ever happened.

Of course, he couldn't afford to have Katie here now. He and Coulson knew they had to keep their protégés occupied while Skye's insane father and Katie's equally-dangerous mother were still out and about. Not to mention with HYDRA and all, it was probably best to not plan in advance. If Arthur learned anything from the events that had made him a better person, it was that you should never expect things to go as you anticipate them.

Such was the information he was going to have to get across to the other two agents who were with them now.

As he walked over to Desmond and Jason, he could see the two were clearly not getting along that well, as they were clearly throwing insults and words at each other. However, a loud whistle from Arthur made them notice him and stop their bickering.

"Okay, look…" Arthur said, "I know Jason can't be the friendliest of people, and I know Desmond here can't be nice if something is said about his Aunt and/or family in general. But it seems to me like the both of you are intentionally trying to get on each other's case. But we don't have time to deal with that now. We have to assume that HYDRA will be looking for this place eventually, and if we want to stay ahead, we have to put a plan into motion that'll give us the element of surprise. For that to work, I'm going to need the both of you to help out. Is that understood?"

The two looked at each other and then back at him before nodding.

"Good." Arthur said, "Because you'll only have to keep in radio contact with each other as well as the rest of us. Fail to do so, and I'll see to it that Coulson helps find something to make you think over your choices. It's not a threat, but a promise. Now, you two will travel around the city repeatedly and keep an eye out for the first sign of HYDRA. Should you see or suspect anything, contact everyone and we'll try to get this finished as quick as possible. Understood."

"Yes, Arthur." Desmond nodded.

"Loud and clear." Jason added.

"Good." Arthur noted, "Dismissed."

The two left as Coulson and Bobbi approached him.

"We can send Fitz, Trip, Simmons, Bruce, and Sabrina in there now." Coulson said.

"There is just one problem." Bobbi warned.

"What's that?" Arthur questioned.

Bobbi looked at Phil and then back at Arthur.

"My friend thinks this place might be haunted." Bobbi answered.

Arthur understood. Haunted was usually code for either alien, HYDRA, or unknown source of evil. But despite that, he was aware of what was at stake, so instead he would proceed with the mission as planned and help where he could.

"Well…" He shrugged, "It can't be as scary as that awful _Ghostbusters_ remake they're doing."

…

 _ **Later,**_

 _ **On the Bus…**_

Katie was in charge of watching Raina as they were regrouping to join the others in San Juan. Tabatha had previously been in charge of keeping her secure, but a few minutes ago, she asked to talk to Katie. Katie had no idea why Raina was bothering as they barely said anything to each other since they first met. They had been lucky to get out of Vancouver even after the encounter with Agent 33 and Maya. Apparently, they now knew that Raina was capable of picking up the obelisk (which she called 'The Divider,') and therefore it seemed like HYDRA wasn't out to kill her, but rather take her back to use to open their little hidden prison.

As Katie walked in and she saw Raina standing there. Noticing her new visitor, Raina smiled as Katie stood before her.

"Well." Katie said, "Out with it. What did you want to talk to me about?"

"I think you know." Raina said, smiling.

"Enlighten me." Katie told her, sarcastically.

"You want what I want. Answers, although not to the same question, though yours does overlap with mine."

Raina looked at her.

"I've met your mother, Katie." She said.

Katie felt her heart sink again, but masked it facially.

"So?" She asked.

"She's looking forward to meeting you." Raina continued, "You know she hasn't seen you since you were an infant? She had to give you up and let you grow up on your own before she could see you again. In that time, she's become quite an intimidating person actually. And I won't lie, she often scared me at moments."

"Why are you telling me this?" Katie asked, not wanting to hear anything more messed up about her mother.

"Because she said she's coming to get you, Katie." Raina told her, "She said that she wouldn't stop until the two of you were reunited again and she could help you fulfill you purpose."

"And what is my purpose?" Katie asked.

"To be special." Raina told her, "It's what I want to be as well. But now, we'll soon be seeing what you become."

Before Katie could ask what she meant, Skye arrived.

"May asked me to look over her." Skye told Katie, "Is everything all right?"

Katie looked at Raina and nodded.

"Yeah." Katie lied, "Everything's fine."

With that, she left Skye in there with Raina, but waited outside. She felt something bad was going to happen, and she didn't want to be somewhere else when it did.

….

 _ **Meanwhile,**_

 _ **San Juan,**_

 _ **The Ancient Ruins…**_

"They call it La Garita del Diablo." Simmons explained, "'The Devil's sentry.'"

"Delightful." Fitz replied, sarcastically.

Sabrina and Bruce felt really nervous being here. Not because of the legend of course, but because of the fact that everything they had been researching over the past few months had been building up to this. And with the number of people who had died and had suffered both directly and indirectly because of their actions gave them reason to believe that this place would not be a simple walk-in-the-park even if the basic plan was blowing it up.

Sabrina was probably the most nervous though because she often had fears of claustrophobia, but luckily, she had Bruce by her side, so she felt that she could at least count on someone to watch her back. Unfortunately, it seemed like the tensions between Fitz and Simmons had not calmed down in recent months. In fact, Fitz had openly admitted that he was considering changing his position and moving away from Playground to work in another area away from Simmons. He apparently still felt betrayed by Simmons actions of leaving without a word and not giving him even the slightest hint as to where she was going, and he couldn't live with that anymore. The worst part was that Bruce and Sabrina felt they couldn't intervene. Whatever was happening was Fitz and Simmons's problem and the other couple felt they had to work it out for themselves. So they just kept quiet as the five excavators continued to inspect these ruins.

"The Fort was built in the 18th Century and helped repel some of our British Ancestors when they tried to invade the island." Simmons continued, "But this particular guard tower was built in 1614. And is well-known for being haunted."

Almost on cue, the hole Mack had been carving into the floor opened and the stone began to fall. Everyone watched even after the stone disappeared into the darkness bellow, without any hint of breaking.

"That's a deep hole." Mack noted.

"And haunted apparently." Fitz added, "Not scared of ghosts, are you, Mack?"

"Me?" Mack laughed, "Of course not."

He turned to Bruce and Sabrina.

"You two?"

"No." They answered, shaking their heads.

"Good." He said, turning back to Simmons, "But what was that story?"

Simmons sighed before continuing.

"The story is that seven of the guards were missing in the middle of the night from this tower, never to be seen again." She answered, without missing a beat, "They simply vanished. Seems preposterous, really."

"Yeah." Bruce replied, sarcastically, "But hasn't everything we've done recently seemed a bit preposterous? Just saying."

"I agree." Mack noted, "If not for everything we've all gone through, I'd say this was as about as preposterous as an alien city."

Before Simmons could respond, they were joined by Phil, Bobbi, and Arthur.

"How's it coming?" Phil asked.

"Uh…" Fitz replied, trying to find the right words, "Well, uh…you should…um…"

He looked at Simmons.

"Why don't you…"

"No." Simmons said, simply, "Why don't you? You go first."

The two began moving back and forth until Arthur coughed sarcastically, causing his cough's sound to bounce of the walls with a loud echo. The two scientists on Phil's team stopped and gave him their divided attention.

"Can we get to the point?" He asked, "I'm sorry, but let's not forget what's at stake here."

"Right." Fitz apologized, as he activated three of his D.W.A.R.F.'s.

The group watched the D.W.A.R.F.'s fly up and then descend down the entrance Mack had cut open for them.

"How long will it take to survey the tunnel and locate the temple?" Phil asked.

"Uh…depends on several factors." Fitz admitted, "The tec…tec…"

He looked at Mack for help.

"Don't look at me." He admitted.

Fitz began worrying about finding the right words, so Simmons stepped up.

"The tectonic stress level?" She asked.

"Tectonic stress level. Yes." Fitz admitted, "The structural…"

"The structural integrity of the tunnels." Simmons continued, "As in how damaged they are."

"And how deep they go." Fitz added.

"How do we know what the temple looks like?" Phil asked.

"Well…" Mack shrugged, "We'll know it when we see it, I guess."

"We'll be depending entirely on the data the D.W.A.R.F.S send us." Simmons added.

Unfortunately, Fitz screen went dead, indicating the D.W.A.R.F.S had suddenly shut down. Everyone looked at the screen in shock before looking back at the tunnels.

"Okay…" Arthur noted, "This went from not-so-normal, to really-not-so-normal."

"What happened?" Coulson asked.

"Uh…" Fitz said, looking at his tablet, "The tablet's still working."

"It's like they just went out." Mack noted.

"Okay." Bruce replied, "I know that this goes without saying, but I have a really bad feeling about this."

Bobbi left and soon came back with a glowing light baton.

"Alright." She declared, "Let's get some light down there."

With that, she dropped it, and they watched it disappear into the darkness. Eventually, they heard a faint thud.

"Eyeballin' it," Fitz explained, "It looks to be at least a hundred feet."

"That's all right." Mack assured, loading his gun, "I'm not afraid of heights. The dark, however…"

"Well you should be afraid of whatever's down there." Sabrina warned, "Look, we still have to find out what the hell it is that's down there…"

"This is our only shot and finding out once and for all what's really down there." Phil explained, "We might not get another chance to visit before HYDRA comes knocking."

He turned to Mack.

"Just get those D.W.A.R.F.S. back online." He assured, "Otherwise we're blind down there."

"But it might not be the D.W.A.R.F.S." Fitz pointed out, "Could be all electronics."

Everyone looked at each other, but deep down, they knew Phil was right. There was no telling when HYDRA would find this place and it would be best to blow it up now and be done with it, so they couldn't unlock the obelisk's full potential then. Everyone looked at Mack who nodded, indicating everything would be all right. Soon, they had Mack strapped in and ready to be lowered manually into the depth.

"Three tugs means we'll pull you up." Phil told him.

"Yes, sir." Mack noted, turning to Fitz, "Let me down easy, Turbo."

Fitz nodded.

"Please be careful." He told his friend.

With that, he began lowering Mack into the ground bellow. Everyone continued to watch, waiting for what happened next.

…...

 _ **Meanwhile,**_

 _ **The Bus…**_

Katie knew something was wrong when Skye left the room, looking worried.

"What's going on?" She asked, as Skye didn't answer.

She walked up to May.

"We have to get in contact with Phil." She declared.

"Skye, what is it?" May asked, as the two followed Skye.

"We can't let him and the others go down there." She explained, quickly.

"Is this because of Rania?" Katie asked, wondering if anything Raina had said was true.

"You can't let her get into your head like that." May pointed out.

"She's not lying." Skye assured, bringing some of the holograms up, "Look…"

She pointed at a red point on the map they had been using of the ancient city.

"She said The Divider was meant to guide the worthy to the temple." Skye explained, "You see this? It's the same symbol I saw on the obelisk. It's gotta be the temple!"

"Then they're walking into a trap." Katie realized, horrified by what this all meant.

May looked at her fellow agent seriously.

"And you're sure?" She asked.

"Trust me." Skye told her, pulling up the encrypted communications, "It's seared into my brain. We have to warn Coulson now that something bad is about to happen."

Unfortunately, she saw that there was no signal.

"The hell?!" Katie asked, confused.

"Guys!" Abby declared, as she and Tabatha raced towards them, "We have a bit of a problem!"

Suddenly, a voice overtook their speakers.

"S.H.I.E.L.D. 616." The voice called, "Do not engage your defenses, or you will be shot out of the sky."

May looked at them as she suddenly realized who it was.

"Whitehall." She declared.

Soon, all hands were on deck as Trip, Lance, and AJ joined them to report on the jets hovering next to The Bus.

"Those are definitely HYDRA Quinjets outside." Trip pointed out.

"Then let's put a stop to it, shall we?" Lance asked, sarcastically.

"You have someone onboard who I want." The voice continued, as the Koening's joined them, "A woman named Raina. I'm going to send over two representatives to get her. Any attempt to evade or retaliate will be met with hostile fire. Uncloak, and prepare to be boarded."

With that, the signal cut out as everyone looked at each other unsure of what action to take.

It was then that they realized, Raina was standing by them, leaning on a wall with a small smile.

"Destiny calls." She said, simply.

….

 _ **Meanwhile,**_

 _ **San Juan,**_

 _ **The Ancient Ruins…**_

"GET HIM UP, NOW!" Phil yelled.

Things had gone from bad to worse now. No sooner had Mack been lowered into the tunnels, than he started screaming. He wasn't responding, or tugging to be let back up, so Phil was trying desperately to ensure another agent didn't die.

Everyone worked fast on the machine to get Mack back to the surface, not wanting to see if these so-called legends were real or not.

"I can see him!" Fitz declared, "He's coming up!"

"Hang on!" Phil called.

Eventually, Mack was pulled back up enough for the others to help him back onto the solid ground, but then collapsed, and began convulsing violently.

"What happened?!" Phil questioned, "Were you attacked?!"

"I don't see any wounds or signs of blood!" Simmons declared.

"MACK!" Phil yelled.

Then, Mack made a muffled sound nobody could understand.

"What did you say?" Phil asked, concerned, "I couldn't hear you."

Slowly, Mack got back on his feet. Then, his eye color suddenly turned red which was the sign that things from this point were going to get worst.

"Run." He told them.

With that, he punched Phil hard enough, it sent him flying into a nearby wall.

"Coulson!" Bobbi declared.

"Mack, what the hell?!" Arthur asked.

Mack simply responded by grabbing Arthur's face and shoving him back against a wall. Arthur kicked violently, trying to find Mack's knees so he could take him down.

…...

 _ **Meanwhile,**_

 _ **The Bus…**_

Everyone held their ground, with their guns at the ready.

"I'm not going to give up the lives of everyone on this plane, just for Raina." May told Skye, "She's not worth it."

"HYDRA already has the obelisk." Skye argued, "If they have Raina too…"

"We still have the edge. Coulson's already on the site, HYDRA is not."

"How the hell did they find us?" Trip asked, "We were cloaked."

"Raina's tracker." A familiar voice replied.

Everyone looked to see two faces they never hoped to see on board descend followed by a number of other HYDRA Agents.

Ward and Tyler.

"Old frequency that S.H.I.E.L.D. used during the Cold War." He explained, "What can I say? I'm a history buff."

"And history does sure have a way of repeating itself." Katie said sarcastically, turning to Tyler, "I heard about what happened with your Mom, Tyler. I wanted to believe you'd take it as a sign to move on and be a dentist or something, but I never thought you'd rejoin HYDRA. You're dumber than I thought."

Tyler just smirked with Ward before they looked at the other S.H.I.E.L.D. agents.

"Lower your weapons." He said, "Anyone shoots, the plane goes down. We all die."

"Maybe it's worth it." May pointed out.

"Let's not get carried away, just yet." Lance pointed out.

"First you gave us Bakshi, now you're back with HYDRA?" Skye asked, sarcastically, "You and Tyler need to pick a side already."

"Oh, we have." Ward assured her, "Don't worry."

He turned to Raina.

"Let's go." He told her.

"With pleasure." She said, leaving.

Ward nodded and looked to Skye and Katie.

"The both of you too." He said.

Katie and Skye both looked at May and then back at Ward.

"What?" Skye asked.

"Look." Tyler admitted, "If I'm honest, nothing would thrill me more than to shoot Katie since she's the second person I hate on Earth more than anyone else in life. It would be extremely satisfying to put a bullet in her now, for all the pain and misery she's given me as a result; the 'sessions' where she would mock me, with that big hole in her head where her voice would just find new ways to irritate me enough to almost drive me mad."

He sighed.

"But like Katie pointed out, I lost my mother, and now someone wants to see her and told me a good reason to, that I couldn't refuse the offer. There are people who want to meet both Katie and Skye, and we need them present with us for that. So they're coming with us."

"The hell they are." May responded, pointing her gun to Tyler.

….

 _ **Meanwhile,**_

 _ **San Juan,**_

 _ **The Ancient Ruins…**_

Arthur couldn't get a good kick at Mack. The guy was much stronger now, and Arthur's vision was dimming. However, Bobbi then wacked him over the head with one of her batons and looked at him seriously, as he dropped Arthur who tried to get his breath back.

"Stand down, Mack!" She declared.

Mack responded by punching forward as Bobbi dodged out of the way. However, the wall next to her so hard that it practically sent chunks of debris flying around.

"I don't want to hurt you!" She begged.

Mack responded by throwing a nearby chair at the wall which Bobbi once again dodged.

She then kicked at him, but it had very little effect.

They stood looking at each other before Bobbi slid past him as he threw another punch.

Bobbi then noticed her signature special batons nearby and leapt over Mack, reaching them. Not far away, Bruce, Sabrina, and Simmons were helping Phil up.

"Fitz!" Phil ordered, "I.C.E.R.! Now!"

Meanwhile, Bobbi kept trying to hit Mack, but he simply blocked her attack and then grabbed her neck, lifting her a few feet above the ground.

Fitz tossed Phil an I.C.E.R., which he caught, firing it into Mack's backside before realizing unfortunately that it had little to no effect on him. While he tried to figure out what the hell to do next, Sabrina and Bruce helped Arthur back on his feet as he suddenly noticed something by the area they had pulled Mack up from.

"What…" Arthur coughed, "What's that?"

He pointed and they saw to their shock that it was an ID card. An ID card not too far away from where the others were fighting Mack by.

"Did Mack bring that up with him?" Sabrina asked.

"Only one way to find out, I guess." Bruce noted, "Hold Arthur, okay? I'll be back in a second."

Before Sabrina could ask what he was doing, Bruce slid past Mack's feet and dodged the hole, swiping the card up. When he saw who it belonged to, however, he gasped in fear.

…

 _ **Meanwhile,**_

 _ **The Bus…**_

"Katie and Skye aren't going anywhere." May warned.

"May…" Skye assured.

"They come with us or the deal's off." Ward told them.

"Shut up." May warned.

"May." Katie assured, "If we don't go with them, they're going to blow this plane to pieces."

"They're HYDRA." Trip reminded them, "They'll do it anyways."

"Yeah." Tabatha agreed, "Why should we believe you'll keep your word?"

"You can't trust them." May told them.

"Yes, you can." Ward smiled, as if he were amongst old friends, "Skye, look at me."

"Don't. Talk to her." May warned, pointing her gun at Ward.

"Skye, look." Ward assured her, "I give you my word. You and Katie come with us, we won't fire a single shot. Everyone gets out alive."

"Good one." Billy said, clearly angry, "Is that what you told my brother? Before you killed him?"

Ward looked at Billy and then at Sam surprised.

"How many of you are there?" He asked, genuinely curious.

"I was wondering the same thing myself, actually." Tyler noted.

"Skye, Katie." May told them, "You can't."

Skye looked at May seriously.

"There's no other way." She told her, "You know that."

Katie hated to admit it, but she was right. This was the only option and they had to hope Arthur got this done quickly and rescued them in time.

Skye nodded at her.

"Whatever happens, Katie and I can handle it ourselves." Skye assured.

May simply nodded.

With that, the two agents allowed themselves to be taken away by the HYDRA Agents, and Skye bringing her tablet with the city map on it. However, halfway up the stairs, Tyler stopped.

"Oh, actually, there is one last thing Katie can do for us." He pointed out, "She can say something I always wanted to hear and I think she knows exactly what it is."

Katie looked at him defiantly. She knew it wasn't over, but she knew he'd not leave them alone until he heard her say it to him.

"Congratulations, Tyler." She said, sarcastically, "You win."

Tyler nodded and with that, he and Katie left The Bus, Ward and Skye following afterwards.

….

 _ **Meanwhile,**_

 _ **San Juan,**_

 _ **The Ancient Ruins…**_

Bruce couldn't believe the ID he was holding. He didn't know how Mack had been able to find it, and there was no other evidence than that he had found it in the tunnel. It was bad enough that someone was already down there before them, but what made it worst was who the tablet belonged to.

"BRUCE, WATCH OUT!"

Bruce looked up to see Phil, pulling Mack backwards towards him. Bruce dodged out of the way, making it back over safely to Sabrina and Arthur.

Sabrina looked at him shocked for a second before slapping him in the face.

"That's for making me scared." She told him, before putting an arm around his neck, "But this is for making it back alive."

With that, Sabrina pulled him in for a kiss.

"Guys." Arthur groaned, "I know this is inappropriate for me to say, but now is neither the time nor place."

The two stopped and then Bruce showed them the ID card.

"You are never going to believe who this belongs to." He said.

He showed them and both his teammate's eyes widened.

"Oh. My. God." Arthur breathed.

Suddenly, they were pulled out of their thoughts when they saw Simmons had been pushed over to the edge of the hole by Mack.

Coulson grabbed her foot to try and hold her, but it was clear that Mack wasn't going to let them off that easily. Fitz, however, grabbed a nearby gun and pointed it at Mack.

"Mack, wake up!" He ordered, "Don't make me do this."

"I got you." Coulson assured, as Arthur, Sabrina, and Bruce went over to help, "Shoot him, Fitz!"

"This isn't an icer!" Fitz warned, "These are real bullets!"

"Dammit, Fitz!" Coulson swore, "Shoot!"

But Fitz stood his ground. As Mack went to kill him, Bobbi popped up from behind, lodging her two electric batons into Mack's neck. Mack screamed as Coulson, Arthur, Sabrina, and Bruce pulled Simmons up, and back onto the floor of the structure. However, everyone yelled out as Mack then fell into the hole having rolled over after collapsing from the literal shock to his body.

After taking a few moments, Phil looked at everyone.

"Seal the tunnel." He ordered.

"What?!" Bobbi asked, "What about Mack?!"

"That wasn't Mack." Phil assured her.

"Even if it wasn't, Phil," Arthur noted, "We still have a big problem here. We found this near where we pulled Mack up from."

He showed Phil the ID. It was a S.H.I.E.L.D. ID. One belonging to Nick Jones. Phil looked at it amazed before looking back to Arthur.

"It's still not over." He assured.

….

 _ **Meanwhile,**_

 _ **The Bus…**_

"AJ!" Abby yelled, as she hopped into their spare Quinjet.

"Sorry." She apologized, shutting the door and taking off.

They all knew HYDRA wasn't going to let them off, so May was going to dive-bomb into the clouds, then cloak after releasing some cargo. However, it turned out AJ was more of a renegade than anyone thought, so she had another dangerous idea.

At that moment, the HYDRA ships fired on them. Two missiles went after AJ and the other two went after The Bus. AJ held her breath and took out one of Bruce and Sabrina's gadgets that they had given to her. A special belt that apparently made her invisible to any kind of detection. Both to the human eye and to machines. AJ waited for the rockets to get close, then she unbuckled her seatbelt and put her stealth belt on, activating it, and jumping out from behind. As she began to free-fall, the Quinjet behind her exploded, and she dodged the falling debris. As she looked ahead, she saw the HYDRA Agents leaving, feeling like they had taken both of them out. Now all that had to work was for S.H.I.E.L.D. to save her. Fortunately, from behind the clouds, she saw a familiar-looking black sports car fly up and then position itself beneath her, so she landed comfortably in the soft seats. Looking up, she saw Abby driving with Tabatha in the passenger's seat.

"Be thankful that this didn't get destroyed." Abby noted.

"Thanks." AJ, said, "Though I would like to try a shot behind the wheel, if it's all right."

"No way." Tabatha warned, "Katie finds out and she will kill you in your sleep."

AJ shrugged, figuring she'd just take their word for it, as the Bus reappeared out of the clouds, ready to pick them up.

"So what now?" AJ asked.

"We get our friend back." Tabatha declared.

….

 _ **Meanwhile,**_

 _ **HYDRA's San Juan Base of Operations…**_

Katie was silent as Tyler led her all the way to an unknown area away from Skye and Ward. Katie didn't care what Tyler thought he'd get out of this, but she was worried about what she might get out of this.

"You've been surprisingly quiet the whole way through." Tyler pointed out, "Nervous?"

"Wouldn't give you the satisfaction, jackass." Katie shot back.

"Yeah." Tyler replied, as they reached a door, "Look, Katie; I meant what I said. Killing you would be like a heavy weight lifted off my shoulders. My undercover work was going easy until you stepped in, and filled your SO's head with those stupid movies and pop culture ideas. If not for that, the world would be a much better place, and my mother would still be alive and accept me for being the perfect son."

"If it weren't for those movies, I'd have that same wooden stick shoved up my ass like you have." Katie replied, as Tyler unlocked the door, "So why don't you kill me then?"

With that, Tyler opened the door and Katie stepped inside. It was a large open living room with a couch, some tables, and there was a caged snake nearby. But there was also a lone occupant in the room. She had a stunning light-green dress on, and frizzled blonde hair. But it was the eyes that Katie was focused on. The eyes that looked so much like…

"Because after losing my own mother, the last thing I'd want to do is deprive another mother the chance to be reunited with their child after all these years." Tyler pointed out, nodding to the woman, "I'll leave you two here then."

The older woman smiled and nodded as Tyler shut the door. The woman looked at Katie as if she was trying to figure out what Katie was.

"The way you look at my eyes." She smiled, "The same way I'm looking at you, I'm seeing so much of…"

She paused, and nodded.

"I'm sorry." She apologized, "I just…"

She remembered what Cal had told her. Be herself and tell Katie who she was.

Princess nodded and looked at her daughter.

"My name's Zelda." She explained, "Zelda DuBois. I'm…I'm your mother."

Her eyes filled up with tears as she embraced Katie with a big hug. All these years, Zelda was finally reunited with her little Katie. She never felt this happy in her life, because it meant everything was going to fall into place soon, and if it worked, this would be up there on one of the happiest moments in her life.

Katie was confused at first, as the woman hugged her, but eventually pulled away, looking confused and shocked.

"I'm sorry." She assured, again, "You have to understand, the last time I saw you, you were barely old enough to remember me. And I'm sorry you went through all this trouble, but I promise you that I am going to put things right again as best I can."

Katie looked at Zelda, not sure of what to do. Part of her wanted to hit this woman in the face even if she really was her biological mother, and then find Skye and leave this place forever. However, the temptation of not knowing what really happened to her was unfortunately too great. This woman who seemed to be Katie's mother apparently had a sadness that was visible just by looking at her expression.

"I guess you'd want an explanation for everything that's happened since you were born and before then." Zelda shrugged.

"Coulson told me enough." Katie said, masking her fear with a false sense of bravery as best she could, "He told me you were apparently running around with some psychopath who happened to be Skye's real dad. A killer. A monster. I bet you two have left a massacre behind wherever you travel."

Zelda smirked as she went over and looked by a window.

"You only know half of the story." Katie's mother explained, "And Cal didn't name his daughter 'Skye.' Just for the record. It might shock you to actually know that I grew up a woman who got smarts, but wasn't a boy enough to impress her parents. So I took a gamble and won a trip to go to China to study veterinarian work there. That's where I met your father, Katie. He was special, but not in the emotional way. He was special because he had a gift. An ability not unlike some of these superheroes that have appeared from the woodwork in the past few years. Except he was born with these gifts."

Zelda smiled softly, reminiscing on Henry.

"I only wish he could've lived to see you and Tracy." Zelda admitted.

"Tracy?!" Katie asked, genuinely surprised.

"Yes." Zelda nodded, "Tracy was your sister. She was born first when it seemed my life was going nowhere but up."

"Then…what happened?" Katie questioned, cautiously.

Zelda sighed.

"Your father was taken from me." She explained, "By HYDRA. Cal's wife had been taken by them too, and he had traced them to our house, but we couldn't save your father. Cal helped me deliver Tracy, but I knew they would never stop coming after us, so I sent her away and looked high-and-low for your father with Cal's help. But when we finally reached their headquarters in Switzerland…they…"

Zelda sat on the couch, burying her hands in her face. Suddenly, Katie didn't see the image of the monster she feared her Mother was. Instead, she saw a very distraught and emotional woman who had seen too many terrors that nobody should be forced to witness in their lives.

"They cut open Cal's wife…" Zelda cried, "And your father…they….they cut him open too. They tore out his brain, his skin, they cut his limbs and body apart and then threw them away like garbage."

Katie felt like she had been punched in the chest and all the air was knocked out of her. After so many years not knowing who her parents were, Katie suddenly wished she hadn't. When she was younger, she imagined her real parents were something amazing. Perhaps they were in the military or were secret agents and maybe the reason they were never around was because they died in the line of duty to protect their country and their daughter. Katie wished that were the case now. Her real mother was an emotionally distraught woman, and Katie's father was six-feet under and apparently carved up every which way.

"I'm sorry I left you for all these years." Zelda apologized, wiping the tears from her eyes and recomposing herself, "But I promise you; it's all going to be better soon."

"Better how?" Katie asked.

Zelda just smiled.

"You have the gift inside you your father had." Zelda pointed out, "Your sister didn't have it, and I wish she were also around to see this."

"See what?!" Katie demanded.

"Right now," Zelda explained, "HYDRA's digging a way to this temple underneath this very mansion. It leads to a chamber where a transformation will take place. Cal's daughter will go first, and then you, Katie. You're going to become something very beautiful and I want you to know I'll be there for you when you come out…"

Katie suddenly remembered that despite what her mother had gone through, she was delusional. She was talking about Katie going through some kind of transformation like it was a good thing. That, and she was allying herself with HYDRA to do it.

"Look," Katie declared, getting up, "I don't care if you are my mother or not. I am not going through any kind of transformation, and you can't let HYDRA in there! They have god-know's-what-planned for down there…"

At that moment, Zelda snorted a little laugh.

"What's going on?" Katie demanded, "What's so damned funny?!"

"Sorry." Zelda apologized, "I told Whitehall the same thing. He thought this thing was a weapon, but it's actually quite the opposite. It's a chamber that gives life."

Katie looked at her as she got up, stifling her laugh again before looking at her daughter seriously.

"But whether you want to go in or not is out of the question." She told her, "I know it's scary, but think of it as…let's say a trip to the Doctor's to get a booster shot. It'll be scary and hurt for a second, but afterwards everything will be better again. I promise you, Katie. Afterwards, we are going to be a family again."

Katie stood there trying to process everything that'd happened.

"I'm really looking forward to spending time with you." Zelda pointed out, "I just wish I could've been there with your father to do the thing I never got to do with you; first steps, first day of school, the day you'd find someone who you'd want to spend the rest of your life with…"

Suddenly, the door opened, and a HYDRA Agent entered.

"Ma'am." He told Zelda, "They're ready for you."

"I'll be right there." She smiled, walking over to her daughter and giving her a hug.

"Well," Zelda smiled, "It looks like we'll have all the time to catch up with each other soon. But first, Mommy's gotta do something she's been waiting to do for a while now. I'm going to kill Whitehall and rip his head off his body and then kill any other HYDRA Agent who threatens me or my little girl."

She pulled away and smiled.

"I'll be back." She assured.

With that, she walked out while softly singing a song to herself.

"Hush little baby, don't say a word. Mommy's gonna kill for you the big bastard…"

Zelda left the room, leaving Katie to collapse onto the couch, having realized how truly insane her family really was.

…

 _ **Meanwhile,**_

 _ **San Juan…**_

Desmond and Jason were waiting on top of a roof, while Lance and Bobbi were below, waiting to meet up with one of Bobbi's contacts. Apparently, during the mission to the underground city, the team had lost Mack and Skye and Katie had been kidnapped. Jason didn't care very much for them, but Desmond was worried. Katie was a good kid, and he hoped nothing bad happened to her.

"Shit." Jason swore.

"What?" Desmond asked.

"He's coming towards us with two guys dressed in suits that scream 'I'm HYDRA.'" Jason explained, getting out a sniper rifle from a bag he had brought with him.

"Hey!" Desmond declared, grabbing Jason's arm, "That might not be the case."

"Oh?" Jason replied, sarcastically, "Then what could it be?!"

"Look, Bobbi said she trusts this guy." Desmond told him, "He could be playing them!"

"How do you know that?!" Jason questioned, as if he were talking to a fool.

"I'm a trained in the fields of psychology, remember?" He asked, "What the hell's your problem, man?! I'm trying to work with you, but you just keep pushing people away."

"My only goal is to kill off all of HYDRA." Jason replied, looking back and frowning, "And now they're out of view."

Before either could say anything, there was a ring on the communications devices. Looking down, they could see it was from Bobbi and it was an address. It was followed up by a message telling them to get back to the Bus.

Desmond looked at Jason who said nothing, and instead walked towards the exit.

"Seriously, Jason." Desmond continued, "I just want to know what it was that bent your life so far…"

"You want the truth?!" Jason asked, "Okay. The story goes that when I was young, my parents were killed in a car crash by a drunk driver. That left me to look after my little brother. Once I joined S.H.I.E.L.D. with him, I had a girlfriend and everything was looking up until I lost her, and then my little brother was onboard one of the S.H.I.E.L.D. ships out in the ocean, and was lost forever. They couldn't even find his damn body for me to bury. THAT'S why I hunt HYDRA. Because they took my only remaining family away from me and nobody can understand the things I've lost."

Desmond was quiet. He had assumed Jason had a bit of an arrogant background to him, but this was all-too familiar to him.

"You're wrong." Desmond told him, simply.

Jason looked at him surprised.

"I've been there too." He explained, "My cousin? He was someone who I thought I could understand…but now he's with HYDRA…I don't even know what his motives are anymore, and I doubt he does either."

Jason took this in for a minute before speaking.

"I'm uh…I'm sorry I shot your aunt then." He said, almost softly.

"I still hate you for that." Desmond admitted, "But right now, you have a chance to work with people instead of on your own. You don't have to be 'The Lone Wolf' anymore."

Jason nodded.

"I just feel that with my brother gone, I work better on my own." He explained.

"Understandable." Desmond nodded, "But why don't we see where working with S.H.I.E.L.D. leads you, and we'll see which works better."

"Challenge accepted." Desmond replied.

…

 _ **Later,**_

 _ **The Bus…**_

Everything was happening so quickly.

Everyone was getting everything ready for the rescue and demolition of the underground city. Fitz and Simmons had no idea what else would be down there, and thus it was decided that the best course of action was for the demolitions team to wear Hazmat Suits to at the very least, avoid any physical contact with whatever was down there. No sooner did they have a plan for blowing up the base, then the investigation team called in, reporting that HYDRA had set up shop in an old abandoned theater. Upon closer inspection, they could see the theater was over one of the points in the map, and apparently HYDRA had a stolen excavation machine that they were most likely using at this very second to drill straight to the bottom of the city.

Thus, Coulson, May, Arthur, and AJ would be going into the building to take care of the guards on the inside with Bobbi and Lance's help. Fitz, Simmons, Triplett, Bruce, and Sabrina would be going down into the caverns to blow up the place from the interior. The rest of the team would cover the back entrance to the theater in case HYDRA would try to make an escape from behind, or try to contact reinforcements.

Right now, though, all Arthur was concerned about was getting Katie back. With Ward and Tyler, he could only imagine the horrors they were putting her through. But he also feared that Katie's own mother was there, and would try to manipulate her daughter into joining her side. Arthur knew Katie was full of resistance as indicated during her training, but she had never had to encounter her true family before. For a moment, Arthur almost wondered if he should've told Katie about meeting her Mom, but came to the conclusion that it probably wouldn't have made a difference, and might've only made her run away.

But now was not the time to dwell on the past.

"Arthur…" Jessica asked, "A moment?"

Arthur rolled his eyes, but gave her a few moments.

Jessica sighed.

"Arthur…" She told him, "I know you're not in the right mindset, and it's understandable, but…just stay safe, okay?"

"Wouldn't have it any other way." Arthur smiled.

"That's not what I meant." She explained, "You don't even know what's down there, and with HYDRA digging straight into the ground…"

"I know perfectly well what's on the surface." He told her, "Look, I'll bring her back in one piece. However, god help whoever has the nerve to keep her from us."

Jessica nodded. She knew how much Arthur and Katie meant to each other. Arthur had gone from being the man who wanted nothing to do with her, to almost being the father Katie never had. Arthur had shown her everything she needed to be an Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D., and she had shown him how to relax every now and then. But despite Arthur's obsession with getting his protégé back, she still trusted Arthur and felt he knew what he was doing. He didn't get this far in S.H.I.E.L.D. by being an idiot after all.

So Jess simply nodded, as Arthur left.

….

 _ **Meanwhile,**_

 _ **HYDRA's San Juan Base of Operations…**_

Zelda let out a long drawn groan as Raina showed up. Whitehall had asked them all to gather here, and she thus had to see what he wanted.

Thus, she now stood next to Cal alongside Raina, Tyler, and Ward. A few seconds later, Whitehall emerged followed by some other guy…Roger James Smith. Yeah, that was the guy's name.

"Well, well…" Whitehall declared, "We're here today, in part, because of the five of you."

He looked them over.

"You two delivered Raina as you promised." Whitehall explained, motioning to Tyler and Ward, before looking at Raina, "And I had my initial doubts about you, young lady. But you're slowly earning my trust."

Raina smiled softly as Whitehall turned his attention over to Cal and Zelda.

"And both of your combined knowledge of the divider has led us to this historic moment." He said, as Zelda and Cal tried to keep their cool together. The two were telling themselves that they were surrounded at this point, and just needed to wait for an opportunity to get themselves alone with Whitehall, and could kill him from there.

"For that, I offer my gratitude." Whitehall noted, "I just have one question…"

He walked back a bit before looking back at the two.

"How do they fit in?"

He looked back and suddenly, Katie and Skye were brought forward by a couple of HYDRA Agents.

"We needed insurance that S.H.I.E.L.D. wouldn't blow us out of the sky." Ward explained, without missing a beat.

"But you also ordered that the S.H.I.E.L.D. Plane shouldn't be shot down." Whitehall pointed out, "I had to counter that order myself."

Ward simply shrugged.

"I have a theory as to why they're here." Whitehall suggested, motioning one again.

At that moment, Agent 33 stepped out with a briefcase, opening it up to reveal the divider inside.

"I'd like the both of you to pick it up." Whitehall ordered the two S.H.I.E.L.D. Agents.

"You first." Skye said, bluntly.

There was a clicking sound and the two agents saw the guards were pointing their guns at their heads. Turning back, they could see Cal and Zelda who were nodding solemnly. Seeing as how there was no way out, Katie and Skye grabbed the divider. Katie expected both of them to start turning to stone much like how she had heard happened to Agent Hartley, but instead, she and Skye were just fine. All that happened was that the divider just started glowing orange before returning to normal. It was then that Skye and Katie jammed the divider into the neck of one of the HYDRA Agents and then all hell broke loose. Cal jammed a knife he had slid through his jacket into a nearby HYDRA Agent's neck, and Zelda grabbed one of the other HYDRA guy's heads, and twisted it around as it made a sickening snap. Unfortunately, more HYDRA Agents showed up as they and Agent 33, pointed their guns on them. Zelda cursed to herself as they had blown possibly their only shot at saving their family.

Whitehall just sighed disappointedly as he approached them.

"I hope you two are as special as your parents." He told Skye and Katie.

The HYDRA Agents then took Ward away as he had turned his guns on them, as Whitehall went over to Cal and Zelda.

"I'll be honest." He admitted, "I didn't recognize you two when you showed up at my office."

"If my daughter wasn't here..." Cal said, through gritted teeth, "I would tear you and your men to pieces."

"Well then, I'll add that to the number of reasons why I'm glad she's here." Whitehall replied, looking at Ward, "You are the piece of the puzzle I can't decipher. Why are you really here?"

"Is it really that hard to see?" Raina asked, amused, "It's love. Agent Ward believes that if he helped Skye fulfill her destiny, she'll see him for who she really is."

"Oh…" Whitehall exclaimed, "It's a pity you won't get to fulfill that destiny."

He smiled and turned back to look at Cal and Zelda.

"Or that after all these years, you won't get a chance to get revenge for what I did to your families."

The two just kept quiet giving Whitehall an angry face. Then they were just as quickly knocked out by two of the HYDRA Agents.

"Secure them." Whitehall ordered, "You may learn that Agent Ward is a trained killer. One of the best. I have a feeling that in time, I can make you comply."

With that, the group was brought away from Whitehall.

Roger looked at Whitehall angrily.

"We need to move now." He said, bluntly.

"Patience, my friend." Whitehall assured, "We'll find your old friend soon enough."

"We have to be there waiting for him when he gets here." Roger declared, "We can't let him find whatever the hell he's been looking for."

"I notice that you seemed to trust Raina almost instantly when she told you she knew where Nick Jones was headed. Care to explain why?"

"Not at this moment, no." Roger admitted.

"Then you should relax and let me worry about the rest." Whitehall assured, "When he arrives, I promise that you will be the first to put a bullet in his head."

…

 _ **Meanwhile,**_

 _ **Above the building…**_

Arthur sighed as the cloaked Quinjet softly touched down on the roof.

"It's not ideal." Phil admitted, "But assaulting from up here is our best bet, "The narrow corners reduce HYDRA's numerical advantage."

"Sounds perfect." Lance said, although Arthur couldn't tell if he was being sarcastic or serious.

"Except that HYDRA's drill will be able to beam all the way down to the basement." He added.

 _And there's the sarcastic Lance Hunter we know and love._ Arthur thought to himself, as he loaded up on weapons.

"What about the comms?" Bobbi asked.

"HYDRA scans for them." May answered simply.

"So we'll have to be quick then." AJ noted, loading her gun.

"Two goals." Coulson reminded, "Stop the drill. Find Skye and Katie."

"Are you forgetting a third?" Lance asked them.

"What's that?" Arthur asked.

"Don't die out there." Bobbi answered, with a soft smile, "We need to remind each other not to die."

"I haven't got any plans to." Arthur replied, half-jokingly.

"I thought that was implicit." Coulson pointed out.

"He likes to hear it." Bobbi smiled, walking past Lance.

Lance just looked at her as Arthur stood next to him.

"You know," Lance said to Arthur, "Sometimes I wish that I had that same non-stop working mindset you had when you used to have."

…

 _ **Meanwhile,**_

 _ **Inside the base…**_

Ward smiled as he looked at Agent 33, who was currently watching him alongside Maya and Tyler.

"You know." He said to Agent 33, "The woman you look like…I knew her. How'd you end up with her face?"

"Serving Dr. Whitehall." Agent 33 replied.

"That's…gotta be an interesting story." Ward guessed, "Doesn't it bother you?"

"I didn't have a purpose before." Agent 33 acknowledged, "I was lost. Now? I'm happy to comply."

"That's interesting." Ward pointed out, "Because I actually heard a bit about you before you served Dr. Whitehall and I know for a fact that you had a purpose."

He looked at Maya.

"Her, on the other hand…" He continued, "Not so much."

"What do you mean?" Maya asked, not breaking.

"Don't you find it weird that you're the only one who got to be Roger James Smith's right-hand-woman just because she was better than people who had trained their whole lives before her?"

"Katie Sheila did it." Maya pointed out.

"Yep." Ward nodded, "Except even then, she was a renegade. She did dangerous things on her own before she joined S.H.I.E.L.D. which helped her advance in her training. What was it that you did?"

Maya kept silent. Deep down, she felt something was wrong. She tried to ignore Ward the best she could, but it raised a good point. The other girls in her training to become Roger James Smith's protégé were some of the best talented masters of different areas of expertise in the world, and she couldn't remember how exactly she had beaten all of them in the selection process.

"You know, there was a guy I used to be loyal to." Ward pointed out, "Then he went completely insane."

Agent 33 simply raised her gun to his face.

"Not another word." She threatened.

"Happy to comply." Ward said, sarcastically.

Not far away from them, Cal and Zelda were waking up, and found their daughters tied to two separate chairs.

"Oh good. You're awake." Whitehall proclaimed, as he entered the room.

"I waited years for this." Cal growled, but Zelda held him.

Cal looked at her surprised, but then he saw a look in her eyes. It was a special look which he knew meant to trust her. He knew Zelda wouldn't do this now, unless it had a purpose, so he stopped, and balled his fists.

"What's wrong, Ms. Dubois?" Whitehall asked, "Given up?"

"Not yet." Zelda replied, "But wait till you see it."

"See what?" Whitehall asked.

"You'll see when the time's right, you bastard." Zelda said, simply.

Whitehall smiled, and pressed a handheld device. Suddenly, Zelda and Cal dropped to the ground and realized they had some kind of metal chip stuck to their necks which was sending their bodies into a tremendous amount of pain.

"Do you know what your mother's special gift was?" Whitehall asked Skye.

"No." Skye said, simply.

"She didn't age." Whitehall told her, "At least not like the rest of us."

He leaned down to look directly into the eyes of the daughter of the woman that had allowed Whitehall to retain his youth for all these years.

"I wonder…" He almost whispered, "If that's your gift as well. Or if you're special in another way, and perhaps your friend has a similar gift also. Discovery requires experimentation."

"Is that what you did to my Dad?" Katie asked, defiantly.

Whitehall smiled.

"As a matter of fact, yes." Whitehall noted, shocking Katie, "Your father was actually very helpful in allowing us to transfer her mother's special traits into me. Admittedly, it took a couple of months of him screaming as we spliced him open and tested his body parts, but in the end, we managed to successfully transfer his powers into another living host, and then managed to do the same for her mother."

Katie just stood there with her mouth open, unable to say a word as Whitehall was explaining this to her as if her father was nothing.

Whitehall looked down at Cal and Zelda.

"I killed your wife and husband." Whitehall explained, "And before I kill the both of you, I want you to see what I'm going to do to your children."

Suddenly, there was sounds of gunfire heard from upstairs, which drew Whitehall's attention.

Roger James Smith entered, looking at him very seriously.

"We have to go!" He exclaimed, "S.H.I.E.L.D.'s here!"

Whitehall left with Agent 33 as he turned to the other guards.

"Stay here!" He declared.

"Yes, sir!" Tyler said, standing up straight.

…

 _ **Meanwhile…**_

"WHERE IS SHE?!" Arthur yelled, slamming a guard back up against the wall.

"Who…" The guard asked, as Arthur twisted the HYDRA Agent's arm behind his back, causing him to yell in pain.

"THE BROWN HAIRED GIRL!" Arthur declared.

"I don't know!" The guy yelled, "PLEASE! MY ARM…"

"Isn't completely broken." Arthur declared, "Now you have another few minutes before I do the same to your other arm and two legs left before I REALLY get upset. After that, all bets are off. So I'll ask again. Where. Is. Katie?!"

"I…I…" The guy said, trying to spell it out, "I think in the kitchen…oh god…"

"If I find you're lying." Arthur declared, "I will come back up here and finish what I started."

He began to leave, but stopped.

"Oh, and you didn't happen to see a blonde woman up here? Around 50 years old? Has a snake for a pet?" He asked, sarcastically.

"Wha…?" The guy asked, "Oh…I uh…I moved her snake for her…she said she wanted near the kitchen."

Arthur thought about why Zelda would ask for that, and his eyes widened.

"Well screw my day even further." He said, dumbfounded, as he hit the guy with an icer round from behind without looking.

With that, he exited and was met with Coulson.

"I think I know where Katie is." He told him.

"Good." Coulson responded, "Because where I'm going, it should lead to the man responsible for both of our protégé's kidnapping in the first place."

"Then let's go, boss." Arthur replied, taking out his non-icer gun.

….

 _ **Meanwhile…**_

Ward looked at Maya while Tyler looked at Ward as if he was expecting to hear something.

"Hey." Ward called to Maya as she looked at him.

"I just have one more question." He asked, "How is your body doing these days since the operation?"

Maya looked at him confused.

"What do you mean?" She asked, cautiously.

"Well…" Ward responded, "I've heard that girls who have surgery done to prevent them from having children will function differently than those who haven't been sterilized. I've also heard that the healing process after that situation can be long, and very painful enough that they'd never forget it. So tell me…how was that like for you?"

Maya once again found herself without an answer. For some reason, she never remembered the healing process and it felt her training had kicked up again almost instantly afterwards with her in the peak of her skills. Yet, she had heard of this thing Ward was referring to, and knew it would be physically impossible for that to happen. She should have been able to remember the pain and healing she felt, but there was no memory of that whatsoever, despite losing her ability to have children naturally being one of the defining moments in her HYDRA training.

Her mind raced back again, trying to remember that answer from earlier as to why she couldn't remember what had made her better than her competition in becoming Roger James Smith's protégé. Nothing was making sense now. She wondered if Roger had lied to her, but that couldn't be the case. Roger would never lie to her and he had saved her from that horrible life with her parents.

A new thought occurred to her. Her parents might not have been nice, but for the most part, they left her alone except when they came back drunk and hit her for no reason. But even then, that was every so often, and Maya remembered she had plenty of time to herself. So why was it that Roger had shown up that day to take her away under the guise of a child service worker, when her parents barely cared for her?

As she stopped to think, the thoughts became too much, and she held her head trying to sort her mind out. Tyler held her, but realized what Ward was getting at. The other guard in the room held a gun at Ward who just smiled.

"It's fine." He assured, looking towards where the sound of fighting was coming from, "Hear that? They're coming for us."

The guard approached him, taking his eyes off of Cal and Zelda.

"I saw how many guys you have on your side." Ward admitted, "But you're sorely outnumbered, my friend."

He looked at him seriously.

"Tell you what." He suggested, "Let me go now, and I'll tell them to take it easy on you. Maybe cut off an ear, pop off an eye."

"Shut up." The guard ordered.

"Well," Ward sighed, as if he were defeated, "Just trying to be helpful. I'm a lot nicer than they're going to be."

He turned around and saw Cal and Zelda standing upright and no longer looking like they were in pain.

Zelda opened her palm and revealed the chips now no longer attached to them.

"Looking for these?" She asked, dropping them.

She smirked.

"Sick him, girl!" She called.

At that moment, Zelda's pet snake rose from behind the man, biting him in the back of his knee. The guy screamed and fell down, feeling completely stiff.

"I had a feeling you guys would turn on us." Zelda explained, "That's why I made sure to get a cage that you would never expect a snake like this to slither out of. Just in case. You should've really looked closer."

The guy tried to speak, but couldn't make out a word.

"Oh well." She sighed, smiling at her friend.

"Cal, will you do the honors?" She asked.

"Gladly." Cal replied.

With that, Cal got the guy's head underneath his arm and snapped it by breaking it over his knee. The guy fell as Ward watched the HYDRA Agent's body hit the floor.

"You're welcome." He said, sarcastically, "Now let's get out of here."

Cal imminently got to work on releasing Ward, as Zelda peaked around the corner of the room and confirmed there were no guards.

"You two stay with Ward." Zelda demanded, "Cal and I will fix this."

"So where's he going off to?!" Katie asked, watching Tyler leave, helping Maya walk away.

"Believe it or not, he's actually being a better man than I am and fixing Maya." Ward replied, as Cal freed him.

"Typical." Katie responded, "It's all you do! You can't keep us here!"

"Ward will keep you safe." Zelda assured, "And we're about to do something to Whitehall you both should not see."

With that, they both left as Ward grabbed a knife from the dead HYDRA Agent and imminently set to work on releasing the two S.H.I.E.L.D. Agents.

"Sorry your little family reunions didn't work out as planned." He assured, as he freed Skye and then set to work on freeing Katie, "Least I can do is get you both out of here."

He freed Katie and then went forward.

"Stay there while I check the door." He ordered.

He peaked and confirmed that there were no living guards outside, but rather a couple of dead bodies.

As he turned back, however, he saw Skye with the dead HYDRA Agent's gun before she shot him in the chest multiple times, and he fell to the floor.

"Never turn your back on the enemy." Skye told him, as she left, "You told me that."

Katie was about to follow, but stopped. She couldn't resist the temptation for the opportunity that had just presented itself for her.

"Well…" She sighed, "Seeing as how I might not get an opportunity again…"

With that, she drove her foot right in between Ward's legs. Ward groaned in pain and coughed as Katie smiled.

"Sorry." She said, sarcastically, "But I promised myself I'd find a way to someday, even if it was cheating."

With that, she picked up another dead agent's gun and followed Skye.

….

 _ **Meanwhile,**_

 _ **In the Ancient City…**_

It was amazing how much worse things were getting. Bruce, Sabrina, Fitz, Simmons, and Trip had no sooner set foot underneath the entrance they had carved, when they found that Mack's body had somehow disappeared. Obviously, that wasn't a good sign, but the time for being careful was over. Now, it was all about blowing this city up before anything bad could happen. Bruce was at first against it, seeing as how his old friend Nick Jones was down there, but when they had called out repeatedly for about thirty minutes (the amount of time the others allowed for him to respond,) it became unfortunately clear that either Nick wasn't in the cave, or didn't want to be saved. So whatever choice Nick made, he would unfortunately have to live with it if he was still in the cave. Nick was a good friend to Bruce, but Bruce had a duty to S.H.I.E.L.D., and it appeared that Nick Jones had long since abandoned that duty following the fall of S.H.I.E.L.D.

This place was a maze and without any technology working in the basement below, they had to rely on remembering where they were if they were going to make their escape. But no sooner had they planted the second bomb that Trip looked at them regrettably.

"What's wrong?" Fitz asked.

"This is taking a little longer than I had hoped." Trip admitted.

"We'll have to move more quickly." Simmons suggested.

"We should split up." Fitz acknowledged.

"Good idea." Trip said, before the others could argue.

Bruce and Sabrina knew that it was secretly just an excuse for Fitz to get away from Simmons, but their objection was mainly because they had no idea if Mack was still alive and angry, or what else could be lurking down in this ancient city.

Fitz noticed the others dismay and quickly went to justify himself.

"No." He assured, "It's a good idea. We're running out of time, I'm familiar with the explosives, I have a map…I'll see the rest of you at the garrison."

"Fitz…" Jemma pleaded.

"Just trust me on this, Jemma." Fitz told her, "I'm not afraid. I can do it."

With that, he began to walk off, until Simmons pointed something out to him.

"Fitz…" She called.

He stopped and realized what she meant.

"Right." He noted, "Other direction."

With that, he turned and walked off, as the others went to get to the rendezvous point. Halfway there, Sabrina felt like she couldn't hold it in much longer.

"Um…" She said, but quickly kept quiet.

However, Simmons heard it and looked at her expecting Sabrina to finish.

"Nothing." She assured.

"No, what is it?" Simmons asked.

"Great." Bruce said, sarcastically.

"Bruce, I'm sorry." Sabrina said, "Look, I think you should really try talking to Fitz when this is all over."

"You don't think I have?!" Simmons snapped, "Trip, please help me."

"I'm sorry." Trip replied, "I'm staying out of this."

Simmons looked back at Sabrina angrily.

"I have tried to say I'm sorry to him in as many ways as I could." Simmons pointed out, "And nothing has worked. He still won't even acknowledge me as a friend anymore. I think it's past the time we have to accept that Fitz doesn't care anymore."

"That's not true." Sabrina assured, "He's still in there, I know. You just have to try harder."

Simmons kept quiet, but felt deep down that Sabrina was right.

…

 _ **Meanwhile,**_

 _ **Back in the HYDRA base…**_

 _To hell with everything._ Roger James Smith thought to himself, as he quickly packed his belongings.

Whitehall had gone off the deep end now. He apparently wanted to stay and fight S.H.I.E.L.D., and it was clear that he no longer had any interest in helping Roger attain his goal of taking out Nick Jones. So now, Roger was packing his belongings quickly, then he was going to go down that stupid hole they had been drilling into, and take out Nick Jones himself. Afterwards, he was going to take some money he had swiped from Whitehall's desk while no one was looking, and leave to retire to some tropical island in peace for the rest of his life.

As he finished his preparations, he closed his suitcase and turned to leave…

Only to be met by Maya who was standing in the doorway.

"Mr. Smith…" She asked, horrified, "I…what are you doing?"

"Maya…" Roger tried to assure, "Please…"

"You're leaving me?!" She asked, "You were going to abandon me there?!"

Roger sighed and looked at the ground regrettably.

"Okay, Maya." He assured, "I'll be honest. I never cared for you. You were nothing more than an experiment to assure Whitehall that I was loyal to HYDRA. But obviously, now I don't need you. All I care about, is getting even with Nick Jones."

He took out a gun and got ready to fire, but then out of the corner of his eye, he saw Tyler Boateng emerge from the hallway. Before he could act, Tyler shot him with an icer round and Roger went down.

"Thank you." Tyler told the unconscious HYDRA member, "That's all I needed her to hear."

Maya dropped to her knees and began crying away.

"Hey." Tyler said softly, putting his hands on her shoulders, "Don't cry. It's okay."

"No it's not." Maya sobbed, "I thought he was the only person who cared for me. Don't you get it?! I have nobody left who cares for me."

"That's not true." Tyler assured her, strongly, "I care for you."

She looked at him amazed.

"Really?!" She asked.

"Yes."

"Why?!"

"Because I know what it's like to have no one care for you at all just because you're doing what you thought was right." Tyler answered, "But I'm going to look after you, and I'm going to help you get better."

Maya was speechless, but soon pulled Tyler in for a bear hug.

"Oh, thank you, Agent Boateng!" She said, happily, "Thank you!"

"Please." He assured, "Call me Tyler."

"Okay." She nodded, looking at Roger's unconscious body, "Shall we kill him?"

"No." Tyler assured, "We're actually going to take him with us for two reasons. One, is that he's going to be instrumental in helping you."

"And what's the second reason?" Maya asked.

Tyler smiled.

"Well, I thought it would be funny if he awoke only to find his chance of killing his sworn enemy was robbed by the very person he molded." Tyler replied, "Wouldn't you."

Maya snickered, and looked at Roger's body evilly.

"Yeah, actually." She laughed, "I think it would be very funny."

….

 _ **Meanwhile…**_

Whitehall turned a corner to see Zabo and DuBois turning a nearby hallway to see him. He smirked as he took out his gun, but then felt his blood grow cold.

"Good girl." Zelda smiled, as her pet snake slithered towards her.

Whitehall looked surprised as Zelda petted her animal and then focused her attention back on the man who ruined both her and Cal's lives.

"Just so you know." She said, angrily, "The thing running through your veins is simply something that puts you into a temporary state of paralysis. It wears off, but for the next few minutes, you'll be as helpless as we were when you destroyed our lives. Because now, we're gonna destroy your own life."

The two took a step forward, but stopped when two gunshots rang out.

With that, Whitehall collapsed dead on the ground revealing the figures of Phil Coulson and Arthur Williams holding guns which were smoking from the barrel.

Cal and Zelda looked at Whitehall surprised and then turned back to the two S.H.I.E.L.D. Agents, their faces full of anger.

"WHAT DID YOU DO?!" Cal demanded with a loud yell.

"Uh…" Phil thought, "You're welcome?"

"NO!" Zelda cried, grabbing Whitehall's shirt collar, "YOU IDIOTS! HE WAS OURS! OURS!"

"Ma'am!" Arthur declared, "Step. Away. Now."

"No…" Zelda said, through gritted teeth, "I'm done taking orders from you big-shot assholes."

With that, she ran up ahead faster than Arthur had anticipated and tackled him, knocking his gun out of his hand. Zelda then made a sharp right and crashed through two doors leading them into a medium-sized dining room, where she landed on top of Arthur. Regaining her conscience first, Zelda imminently sat atop of him and began punching his face repeatedly. She never felt this angry in her life. She was only going to share Whitehall's death with Cal and only him. Whitehall deserved to die, but not at the hands of someone else, he needed to pay justice from Zelda and Cal for everything he took from them. His death shouldn't have been committed by anyone else, because now Zelda felt even emptier now that her vengeance for her husband had been stolen from her just like everything else in her life.

As she punched away, she failed to notice Arthur grabbing a knife from his boot before he lodged it into her shoulder. Zelda screamed as she staggered back, and Arthur stood upright. He went for her again, but suddenly, he felt his body go numb as he dropped his knife. Zelda smiled as her pet snake slithered back towards her. Arthur could only watch as Zelda picked up the knife and held it to Arthur's throat.

"Well," She smiled, "I might not've been able to kill Whitehall, but I can sure as hell kill the man who brought so much equal misery to my life, and took my baby girl away from me before I could get home to see her for myself in person."

She pressed the blade against Arthur's throat, and was ready to slit it open when she heard a voice cry out to her.

"MOM, STOP!"

Turning around, Zelda was met with the sight of her daughter, pointing a gun at her.

"Mom." Katie warned, "Step away from Arthur. NOW."

"Katie…" Zelda begged.

"NOW!" Katie screamed, as an order.

Zelda quickly obeyed, seeing as how her daughter wasn't convinced that she was on the wrong side yet.

"Now." Katie calmly ordered, "Drop the knife."

Zelda quickly obeyed, and before Katie could demand something else, Zelda eyed her snake who went slithering over to her side.

"Okay." Katie declared, "Here's what's going to happen Mom; you and Cal are going to leave this place, and I will NOT be going down that hole."

"Katie, please." Zelda begged, "I know you must feel like you can do this on your own, but you need me more than you realize…"

"No, Mom." Katie replied, "I needed you when I was about a few months old, alone at that orphanage with nobody but Tracy to relate to. I needed you when I got adopted into a horrible family, and then was forced to leave Tracy behind as she got beaten to death for helping me escape that hellhole. And I needed you when I was out on the streets barely surviving before I found out how to take care of myself. I'm grown up, Mom. I'm not the little girl you thought I was, and I can handle myself. You had years to come home, but you didn't. Now, I don't want to see you ever again in my life. So I'll ask you to leave again, or I swear my shots won't miss."

Zelda looked at her daughter calmly. This was what she had not wanted to see in her daughter; the look of someone who despised their parents to the point that they would threaten them to get out of their lives. It was the same thing Zelda felt when her parents had protested on her trip to China, and Zelda never saw them again afterwards. Now, she might not know if Katie would survive or not. But she had to uphold her faith that everything she had done to bring Katie into this world would pay off, and that when she came out, she would still be as beautiful as the day Zelda first held her second daughter.

"Okay, Katie." Zelda nodded, "But just so you know, Cal and I don't have the obelisk. Your friend Raina does and she's already in the underground tunnels, if you're gonna want to stop her."

She walked to the door as her pet snake followed. Katie kept her gun trained on her mother as she reached the doorway.

"But once you change." She explained, "You'll be completely different. They'll all see that. And when it does happen, I'll be there to protect and care for you. Because I'm your mother, Katie. And no matter what you think, I'll always be your Mommy just as you'll always be my special little girl. And for that reason, I'll always love you even if you don't love me."

With that, she and her pet snake left. Katie turned back to Arthur crying. She had thrown her own mother out of her life, and she didn't know who she was anymore. Katie then remembered Raina was still in the tunnels with the obelisk and had to be stopped.

"I'm gonna fix this, Arthur." She assured.

Arthur tried to tell her not to go, but all that came out was some incoherent mumbles, so Katie left him as she went to go stop Raina.

He tried to speak again, but it was too late. Katie had already left him.

…

 _ **Soon…**_

Katie made it to the area where she had overheard some HYDRA Agents saying the drill area was. As she entered, she saw Skye jumping down there on the leftover gear for the excavation team that was supposed to go into this underground city.

Katie took out her communications message to give one last farewell since it looked like she might not come out alive.

"I don't know if anyone will hear this in time." Katie said, "My name is Katie Sheila. I'm an Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent Skye and myself are heading into this underground city to try and stop whatever the hell is going on down there. I just want you all to know that this is something I have to do. My Mom's been a psychopath and I have to prove to myself one last time that I'm nothing like her since I'm stopping someone from using an unknown weapon not only because it's my job to prevent things like this from happening, but because I'm a better person than her. If you want to send someone down, then be it. But if it's just me and Skye on our own…I'm fine as well. Goodbye."

With that, Katie quickly began putting on the spare gear and then descended.

….

 _ **Soon,**_

 _ **Outside the base…**_

Up above, the other agents were trying to stop as many HYDRA Agents from fleeing as they could, when Katie's message came in.

"Anyone not currently engaged!" Jess yelled, "Get down there now!"

Rose was the first to respond, quickly followed by Abby and Tabatha. Nearby, Desmond was fighting a HYDRA Agent with hand-to-hand combat when another guy came up behind him with a gun. Before he could fire, another gunshot was heard as the guy went down. Desmond looked to see Jason who smiled and nodded at him.

….

 _ **Meanwhile,**_

 _ **Inside the Base…**_

The group reached the drilling area and got ready to go in.

"Look." Rose assured, "I'm a scientist, so I think I'll have as much of a good idea about what'll happen down there. But you two on the other hand…"

"Save it." Abby said, "Katie looked out for us, and now we have to do the same for her."

"Because we're her friends." Tabatha added.

Rose smiled softly, but then put her serious face back on before they entered the mysterious underground tunnels.

…

 _ **Soon…**_

"Arthur?"

Arthur finally felt control of his motor functions again and turned slowly. It hurt like hell, but he had no time to waste if he was going to catch up with Katie. Looking up, he saw Coulson, May, and AJ.

"What happened?" He groaned.

"Skye and Katie went into the tunnels. Tabatha, Abby, and Rose followed soon after, but we only have a few minutes before the charges are set to blow." AJ explained, before Coulson and Arthur took off. The others followed until they were in the room where the drilling equipment was, where the two leaders were suiting up to go underground.

"No!" May demanded, "You two can barely stand…"

"It doesn't matter." Arthur explained, "Katie's my responsibility just like Skye is Coulson's. And if I don't do this, then everything Katie's Mom said about me will be true, I won't be the one to look after her if she goes in alone."

"If we're not back before the bombs go off," Coulson explained, "Get everybody to the bus. Just because Whitehall's dead, it doesn't mean that HYDRA's going to pack up and go home."

"Guys…" AJ said.

"When the Director speaks, listen." Arthur told her, "And look, if Blair asks…tell her I still regret acting the way I did that night."

"Besides." Phil added, "After all the carving and searching, I'm pretty curious to see what the fuss is all about."

…

 _ **Meanwhile,**_

 _ **La Garita del Diablo…**_

Bruce and Sabrina were just as relieved as Trip and Simmons were (although Bruce and Sabrina could tell Simmons was trying to play along since it appeared she was still keeping the belief that Fitz had given up on her) when Fitz climbed out of the tunnels. The bombs were ready, and now they could put this whole crazy adventure behind them.

As they took a second to remember Mack, Trip's phone rang indicating it was May.

As he answered, the others could hear what she was saying.

"Raina escaped into the tunnels with the obelisk." She explained.

"I wouldn't lose any sleep." Trip assured, "The place is ready to blow in…"

"Skye, Coulson, Rose, Abby, Tabatha, Katie, and Arthur went in after her." May interrupted.

"WHAT?!" Bruce and Sabrina demanded.

"Damn." Trip swore, gearing up.

"No!" Simmons declared, "You can't go down there!"

The others begged him, but Trip wasn't listening and soon he went down to save the others.

…

 _ **Meanwhile,**_

 _ **In the tunnels…**_

Katie felt very scared now. She and Skye had found Mack earlier, but he seemed to be in a trance-like state, as if he were a zombie or something. However, he didn't seem to be attacking them, and just stood there with his eyes now covered in a shadow-like substance as if he were possessed. Skye assured him that they'd come back for him, but it didn't seem like anything was going to snap him out of it. Katie felt like this whole underground city was something right out of _Raiders of the Lost Ark_ , and honestly wouldn't be surprised if Mack had been hit with some kind of booby-trap that made him this way. Katie wouldn't be shocked either if at any second there was a rolling boulder that would try to kill them hidden here as well.

Now, the two were in the center of some giant stones standing tall like Stonehenge. And right there, in the center, was a stone cylinder and behind it, was Raina and Agent Nick Jones. Katie had remembered how they had no other leads on where Nick was until now, and even though it was unsurprising these days to see a former S.H.I.E.L.D. agent standing next to the enemy, she could not for the life of her figure out what Nick's angle was.

"I knew you'd be here." Raina smiled as she held the obelisk in her hand.

"To stop you?" Skye asked, pulling her gun on her.

In return, Nick pointed his gun at Skye. Katie quickly drew her own, but stopped when she saw Nick had a sidearm now aimed at her.

"You want to try me?" Nick asked, "Believe me, I'd rather not hurt anyone, but this is something I've waited for almost all my life."

"Nice of you to say so at the time." Katie replied, sarcastically, "Does Bruce know about this."

"Of course not." Nick replied, "He wouldn't understand. None of you do. But now you will."

He nodded at Raina who brought the obelisk forward.

"Your whole life." Raina explained, "Our whole lives have been leading to this moment."

"Sorry." Skye shot back, "I don't buy into the whole 'this is your destiny.' We're taking the obelisk and leaving. There are too many lives at stake!"

"You've got it all wrong." Raina told her, "Whitehall. Everyone has got it all wrong. This doesn't destroy. It gives life. New life."

Raina smiled like a little kid in a candy store before continuing.

"We finally get to find out what we become." She said.

Suddenly the obelisk began glowing orange.

"Make it stop!" Katie demanded.

"I can't!" Raina smiled.

With that, she released the obelisk and it began flying in midair on its own.

"None of us can now." Raina added.

It slowly landed into the center column and a locking sound was heard.

For a second, Katie could swear that she heard an alarm clock in the distance, but then there was a sound of rocks crumbling that echoed throughout the entire structure. It was almost as if the roof could collapse on them at any second.

"If you want to leave," Raina suggested, "Now's your chance."

The sound got louder, but Katie and Skye held their ground.

"I gotta admit." Raina told them, "I'm just the tiniest bit nervous."

…

 _ **Meanwhile…**_

"SKYE!" Coulson yelled.

"KATIE!" Arthur shouted, "WHERE ARE YOU?!"

As they approached a corner, Coulson was shoved back by Mack. Arthur looked at him amazed to see he was still standing and completely fine despite having fallen into this pit a short while ago.

"Really?" Arthur asked in disbelief.

He and Coulson charged at Mack, who simply pushed them back.

"Mack, please!" Arthur begged, "Let us through!"

Mack didn't listen and instead threw Arthur into the right wall. Arthur knew the feeling. When he had been under the influence of his Mom's sick plans, he felt like he had no self-control. So right now, he felt his best bet was to subdue Mack and try to hold back in the tiniest sense as to not break any necks or do anything that would definitely kill Mack.

With that, he ran towards Mack with Coulson and dodged his attack. The two team leaders then slammed their elbows into Mack's back as he went down.

"Sorry, Mack." Arthur apologized as he and Coulson quickly proceeded forward.

…

 _ **Meanwhile,**_

 _ **In the center of the ruins…**_

As the sounds got louder, Katie and Skye tried to think up of a way to stop this without getting killed when Trip, Rose, Abby, and Tabatha showed up through one of the other entrances.

"No, Trip!" Skye called.

"Guys, get out!" Katie demanded.

"Not an option." Abby responded.

"It's too late anyway!" Nick pointed out as the walls shut completely.

…

 _ **On the other side…**_

"SKYE!" Coulson called, as the walls shut before he and Arthur could get inside.

"KATIE!" Arthur called, as he and Coulson tried to find a way in to no avail, "CAN EITHER OF YOU HEAR US?!"

…

 _ **Inside…**_

Everyone watched as the obelisk opened up revealing some kind of blue crystal inside. The crystal then began to grow outwards like a flower blossoming outward.

"How do we stop it?" Trip asked.

"I don't think we can." Skye admitted.

….

 _ **On the other side…**_

"SKYE!" Phil yelled.

Arthur began kicking and pounding his feet and hands respectively against the wall. This was only a rare moment in his life when he felt absolutely helpless.

Suddenly, he had a bad feeling that someone was watching them. Turning around, he and Phil could see Mack still standing there.

"Mack..." Phil declared.

Mack took a step forward and the two leaders felt as though they were out of ideas.

…

 _ **Inside…**_

"So what's going to happen?" Abby asked.

"Something beautiful." Raina replied, still transfixed on the growing crystal.

Without any warning, a strange mist shot out from the crystal filling the whole room and taking everyone off-guard.

…

 _ **On the other side…**_

Before Mack could take another step, he suddenly felt weak and fell to his knees.

"The hell?" Arthur asked, quickly checking Mack's pulse.

He looked at Phil confused.

"He's alive." He said.

The two then looked back at the structure which had closed up.

…

 _ **Inside…**_

It was silent. It was so silent that the only sound that could be heard was everyone's breathing. Nobody knew what was going to happen and now, all they could do was wait.

Suddenly, there was a sound that was reminiscent of slushy snow being stepped on. Raina looked at her arm and suddenly noticed there was a stone-like substance starting to grow over it. Skye looked down at her arm and saw the same thing was happening to her. This transformation was then followed by Katie and Rose.

Katie wanted to scream. She wanted to yell for Arthur, or anyone to help. But she couldn't as the stuff began to grow over their bodies.

"TRIP!" Skye yelled, before turning to stone completely.

Seeing no other option, Trip smashed the crystal which gave off a small shockwave. He turned back but was met with sadness as the others save for him, Abby and Tabatha, were now completely covered in stone.

"NO!" He yelled.

"KATIE!" Abby yelled as she and Tabatha moved forward but stopped. The two looked down to see that they too were petrifying. Looking back at Trip, they could see he was turning to stone as well. The two took one last look at Katie sadly.

"We're sorry, Katie." Tabatha apologized.

"Goodbye." Abby replied.

And with that, everyone in the room was now a statue.

….

 _ **Soon…**_

Darkness. That's all Katie saw at this point. She remembered the strange mists and then her body being enveloped in rocks. Suddenly, a light shined down upon her. Katie blinked her eye. She had control of some of her body again, at least. Everything else seemed pretty much immobile at this point. It was then that she felt the rocks (and her immobility) lifted from her. Katie looked at Skye who watched in horror as Trip, who was still turned to stone, crumbled before her. Katie then turned to see Abby and Tabatha also encased in stone.

Katie quickly reached a hand out to help them, worrying for their health.

Then it happened.

Almost without warning, twin green pulses of light shot from her hands. The light struck both her friends bodies and then Katie watched in horror as her friends crumbled before her very eyes. Katie looked at her hands as the light stopped. Suddenly, her whole body started flashing different colors. Katie collapsed to her knees, very distraught about what had happened. Her mother had been correct. Somehow, this transformation had changed her and given her powers. And with those powers, Katie had just unintentionally killed her friends. She wanted to scream as every part of her thought it was going to explode. And in a way, it did.

Meanwhile, Rose emerged from the rocks looking at her hands which were now on fire. She screamed, but suddenly realized that despite her hands being engulfed in the flames, it felt like nothing was there. There was no pain, and definitely no searing of any kind. She looked over and saw Nick breaking free from the rock, as electrical charges surrounded his body. Before she could say or do anything else, a cloud of blue smoke and electricity appeared and Nick was gone. Then in a second, she vanished as well.

…

 _ **Meanwhile,**_

 _ **Afterlife…**_

Nick stood up as he saw Gordon standing before him. Nick realized he was in some kind of office room which he assumed was Gordon's. Every time Gordon met him, it would always be in some kind of cave, and since Gordon was in charge of getting everyone who went through the mist, he felt that he needed some place to work where he could be organized.

"Congratulations." He smiled, "You passed."

"So what now?" He asked him.

"Now you get some rest." Gordon explained, as that one boy whom he had previously met when Arthur's team had almost gotten a hold of him entered, "We'll take care of things later. Right now, I have a phone call I need to make."

Nick nodded as he left with the new guy.

"Didn't catch your name." Nick said, as a small arc of electricity shocked his body.

"I didn't give it." The guy explained, "And I would prefer if you stayed away from me, so I don't get shocked."

"Okay." Nick replied, as the electricity surged his body again, "I'm sorry, okay?"

Soon, they exited the building and Nick could see they were in a village that seemed to be high up in the mountains. It was truly a breathtaking site. After following a winding road, they arrived at an empty house with a slide open door. The guy opened the door and Nick found a small blanket and pillow inside along with some tables and chairs.

"Get some rest." The guy said.

"Thanks, uh…" Nick said, a little embarrassed, "Still didn't catch your name…"

"Patrick Shinn." Patrick replied, "Now please just get in there and go to bed, okay? There'll be help in the morning."

Nick didn't like this kid's attitude, but he felt weak and so he obliged.

After Patrick shut the door, he walked back to his house which was far away from where the other specials lived. Eventually, he came to the house and inside, he found a young woman in there. She had brown hair and brown shoulder-length hair, while her spine was bent out of shape almost in a 'C' like formation. Nearby was a laptop which seemed to turn on by itself as soon as Patrick entered.

"Hey, Lis." Patrick smiled.

"Hello, Patrick." The computer spoke in a digitized British female voice, "How was it?"

"Fine." Patrick admitted, "Although you shouldn't be up this late. This is why I didn't want to go down in the first place. But you know the deal."

He paused and looked at her.

"You've had the medication, right?"

Lis flicked her eyes upwards.

"Promise?" He asked.

Lis flicked her eyes upwards again.

"Okay." He said, "Is there anything else I can get you?"

"No." The digitize voice spoke, "I'm good, thank you."

"Well, get some rest." Patrick replied, "I love you, Lis."

"I love you too, Patrick." The computer spoke.

With that, the two went to sleep, as Patrick began to think back on the events that had led to this moment.

….

 _ **A Few Years Ago…**_

On the night before everything changed, Allie snuck out of bed and padded out of the house, taking the short walk up the trail that led to the gates at the top of the hill, the one that overlooked the mountain. Though the torches were lit, the mountain was shrouded in darkness. Allie could still feel it – how could she not? It sang in her blood, like most of the world around her.

She sat down on her favorite rock, still warm from the day's sun, and pulled her knees up to her chest. Above her the stars were sprinkled across the ebony sky like glitter on black velvet. The world was so big, and she was so small. And tomorrow she would be someone else entirely. Would the stars still look the same? Would they still love her in the same way?

She heard the footsteps before her brother could even speak. "Go away, Patrick."

"What are you doing out of bed?"

"Same thing you are."

"Sneaking up on my bratty sister in the dark?"

"I'm not bratty, and you couldn't sneak up on me if you wanted to."

Patrick's face softened as he considered the stubborn little girl on the rock in front of him. "You should have woken me up. I would have come with you."

He didn't sit down next to her, knowing his sister preferred her space, but he stood close by. "Are you worried about tomorrow?"

Allie nodded.

"Plenty of people go through the Mist and they come out just fine. Perfect, or better."

"You didn't go through."

"That wasn't my decision, and you know that."

"But if you didn't go through, how come I get to go through?"

"Jiaying knows what she's doing."

Allie looked at him solemnly. "I don't want to do it, Patrick."

Now Patrick did sit down next to her. "It's something very important to Mom and Dad."

He wanted to hug her, kiss her, play with her long braid, but he knew she'd just push him away. Instead he said, "But you don't have to do anything you don't want to."

Allie tilted her head. "Jiaying says I have to."

Suddenly desperate to be closer to him, she crawled into his lap and snuggled up against him. "I'm scared," she whispered, her breath hot against his neck. "I want you to go with me."

"You know I can't do that."

She slipped her thumb into her mouth, something she normally never did anymore (she was five years old, for crying out loud), and leaned against Patrick, hearing his heartbeat like a faraway series of drumbeats.

Patrick brought one hand up and gently brushed her hair off her forehead.

"If I don't go, Mom and Dad and Jiaying and Gordon, they'll all be mad at me. I don't want them to be mad at me."

"Nobody will be mad."

"Jiaying will be mad. She told me so," Allie said, her voice somewhat muffled by her thumb.

"I won't be mad," Patrick said softly. "I'm on your side, Lis, and I always will be."

She loved that he called her "Lis" – he was the only one who did. She was getting drowsy now, the stars twinkling above her as though dancing gently through the cosmos.

"Patrick?"

"Hmm?"

"Will you still love me even if I'm mean and horrible and I kill people?"

"Who told you you're going to be mean and horrible and kill people?"

"Nobody," Allie said, and there was a long, guilty pause. "Maybe somebody, but it doesn't matter."

"You're going to be wonderful and brilliant and you're going to help people," Patrick promised.

"Patrick?" Sleep was truly coming for her, her eyes growing heavy as she reached for his hand.

"Hmmm?"

"I love you, okay?"

"I love you too."

For the last words she'd ever speak to her brother, they were pretty good.

She didn't remember much of what happened after the Mist came to get her. She still thought of it that way, since it was nothing like the peaceful and gentle transition the Elders always talked about. It had been vicious, and it had hurt.

She remembered darkness, and then shattering rocks falling around her, and seeing the temple go dark in her vision. When she woke up things were even worse.

On the nights when the nightmares got too close for comfort, when she didn't want to wake Patrick up from his pallet next to her bed, she'd stare up at the skylight and catalogue all the things she could still do, counting them the way some people count sheep, until she was calm enough to fall back to sleep.

Breathe. Swallow (most of the time). Move my eyes. Move my pointer fingers.

There was the whole thing she could do in her head, with all the benefits of being a cyberpath, but since the Mist had given that to her, she didn't count it as hers. She'd repeat her four remaining abilities over and over in her head until they became a rhythmic lullaby entwined with Patrick's breathing, and she'd find that the simple harmony was enough to chase the monsters from her dreams.

"We need to talk about the Shinn girl," Jiaying said abruptly to Gordon.

The sandy-haired man had been in the middle of a conversation with a young man, but upon acknowledging Jiaying's presence he quickly finished his discussion and turned to Afterlife's leader. "Of course," he said. "Has she stabilized?"

Jiaying pursed her lips. "No."

"Something about her transformation went awry."

Jiaying nodded. "I have the medical team looking into her genetic makeup, to see if the issue was present before we sent her through. If they do not find anything, then…"

"Then she's the one in a million," Gordon concluded, speaking of the small percentage of Inhumans whose transition through the Mist caused them severe physical or mental damage.

For a moment Jiaying didn't speak. Then she said, "She told me she didn't want to go through. Begged and pleaded for me to let her go home."

Gordon considered this. "It was her time," he said. "This was her day."

Again Jiaying was silent.

"You're not second-guessing yourself?" Gordon rubbed his forehead. "The Elders agreed – it was to be her and not her brother."

"I know it will never be her brother," Jiaying retorted. "But a five-year-old?"

"One of the youngest we've transformed," Gordon allowed. "But no matter what happened to her, none of this was your fault, Jiaying."

"You don't think I know that?" she snapped. "But you go in there and tell Marianna that, because at the moment she's still waiting for her daughter to wake up, and we have no idea if that will even happen."

"She'll wake up." Gordon studied Jiaying. "You're not comparing her to someone else, are you, Jiaying?"

The scarred woman's face allowed a small smile. "Only as much as I compare every little girl with brown eyes to my Daisy," she informed him. "It broke me when she was taken from me, and I swore that I wouldn't let anyone else suffer in the ways I have."

"Aliselyn will wake up," Gordon repeated. "There are some things a person just knows."

The head of the medical team supervising Allie's care was an Inhuman named Grace, who gave Jiaying and Gordon a stern look when they entered the treatment pavilion.

"Still nothing?" Jiaying asked.

The doctor stepped towards them, holding out printouts of test results. "The Mist triggered something in her – something I've never seen before. When it transformed her DNA, it also caused all of the major cell groups in her muscle fibers to start deteriorating at a rapid rate. She's quickly losing strength and muscle tone. If I could compare it to anything, it would be spinal muscular atrophy – a genetic muscle-wasting disease."

"What's the long-term prognosis?" Gordon questioned.

Grace shook her head. "Most of the kids with the most severe type die before their second birthday, and sometimes that's even with extensive medical care and supervision. She's still breathing on her own, but at the rate her cells are deteriorating I'd say her growth will be stunted, her spine will bow and curve outwards, her limbs will eventually be frozen into one position, and she'll lose the ability to swallow."

It sounded horrible to Jiaying, who was trying very hard not to think of Daisy losing everything like that. "What can we do?"

"At the moment? Continue the transition. As far as long-term treatment, we need to put in a permanent feeding tube as soon as possible, and obtain some medical equipment that can assist in clearing her airway and preventing her limbs from contracting."

"Is she in pain?"

"No," Grace replied. "We've made sure of that."

Eleven years later Aliselyn Darianne Shinn lay in her most comfortable position – somewhat on her left side, pillows supporting the majority of her body. Her spine had shifted and bowed due to loss of muscle stability around it, and what on anyone else should have resembled a straight line instead seemed to make a tight, pinched C-shape with a twist at the top. Nothing on her body was in a line; her spinal deformity caused her torso to always be out of line with her hips, and her legs, weakened by years without standing or proper stretching, frogged up towards her body, splaying her hips and her knees out to the sides. Her toes pointed like a ballerina's, and no amount of physical therapy could fix that. Her arms were locked in towards her body as well, the backs of her pointer fingers just brushing her shoulders, palms facing somewhat outward.

She was a freak. A crippled weirdo, dependent on her brother for absolutely everything.

Well, except for one thing.

She turned her gaze to the computer suspended above her. Like the girl herself, the laptop was supported by a variety of different methods, all of which enabled Allie to slide through cyberspace. On rough days Patrick had to prop her elbows so her pointer fingers could come in contact with the keyboard, but for the most part, Allie's cyberpathic connection to the world of electronics was capable of operating without touching – or even being in the same room.

Now she flicked her gaze to the computer screen, and as if by magic, words appeared on the screen. Seconds later, they were spoken aloud by a computerized voice, female, with a British accent. "Patrick, take me outside. It is time for the fireworks."

Her brother groaned, having just gotten comfortable on his pallet. "You are so needy," he groaned dramatically.

She rolled her eyes. "I want to see the fireworks."

"Everyone wants to see the fireworks, Lis."

"Patrick." she typed firmly.

"Fine, fine," he groused and rolled over, looking at her seriously. "You okay?"

Her body was generally always wracked with pain in some part, and she was so tired that she knew her facial muscles were spasming, but she forced it all away and flicked her eyes upwards, telling Patrick yes silently.

"Don't lie to me." Patrick stood and moved towards her. "Lis, it's okay to be in pain."

 _No, it's not._ Allie thought, looking up at him. Everything Patrick had had, he'd given up to stay with her, to keep her safe, to take care of her. When they'd been forced out of the house they'd shared with their parents and taken to this dusty and unused temple, Patrick hadn't complained once. He'd set to work making it the brightest, cleanest, most organized dwelling in Afterlife. Now it felt more like home than any place Allie could remember. She wanted to be better for him.

He reached out, obviously getting ready to scoop her up and take her outside to see the fireworks for Chinese New Year, but she tensed and winced, sucking in a painful breath.

"Lis." Patrick said sternly.

"I don't want any more pain meds," Allie typed. "They make me fuzzy and nauseous and I can't think and I can't work."

Patrick leaned down and took one of her skinny, fragile arms in his hand, intently looking at the purple band strapped around her wrist. It was a pedometer, but since Allie never walked, Patrick had set it to record her heart rate and he used it to assess when she was in pain but claiming she wasn't, or when she was overloaded and needed to shut down but claiming she didn't. "One forty-five, hummingbird," he informed her. "That's the pain zone."

"I don't want the meds," she typed fiercely. "I want to see the fireworks."

Patrick's brown eyes, so like her own, regarded her seriously. "Fireworks, then shut down. You need to rest."

Allie didn't fight him on that. She was exhausted, and she knew from experience that it would get worse before it got better.

Patrick scooped up his sister, cradling her with one hand under her neck and the other under her knees. Allie had no head control and her deformities made it difficult for her to lay flat or sit upright, so her options usually were to lay on her bed or the floor, or to be carried in Patrick's arms.

He took her outside and Allie felt the night breeze brush her face. She could hear it twining around the wind-chimes hung from the corners of their home, singing their songs into the darkness.

Patrick sat down on a well-padded section of hillside and shifted her in his arms. "You okay?" he asked.

She flicked her eyes up.

For a few long moments they were together, silent, in the darkness. Allie could feel Patrick's strong arms under her, and he relished in the quick, short pants that were her breath. He was able to shift enough to see the pedometer. "Ninety-two. That's more like it."

Allie rolled her eyes, grateful for the almost-darkness.

When the fireworks burst across the sky like brightly-colored handprints, Allie remembered how much she adored them. Fireworks were so ephemeral and transient – they were and then they weren't, all at once.

It was like that five-year-old girl she'd been once upon a time. That girl no longer existed, and in her place was this twisted, helpless young woman who had never left Afterlife and yet left it every day, streaming herself around the world. She was, and then she wasn't, millions of times a day. She could dip her toes into India, spiral back to Poland, sneak up on Canada, and traipse through South Africa –

… but there was only one place she truly wanted to be.

Home, with Patrick, where she was safe.

I'm on your side, Lis, and I always will be.

…

 _ **Well, there you go, folks! I told you this would be a big one. Now for those wondering about the significance of Katie's Mom, she's actually based on a Classic Marvel Character whom I've felt hasn't got enough attention as she should've. Zelda DuBois in the Marvel Comics is the supervillain known as Princess Python; she was a snake charmer who worked with a criminal gang who themed themselves around circus entertainers before moving on to become a solo villain. The reason I used her, like I said, is because I feel that the character should appear either in the films or on one of the Marvel Shows be it on TV or Netflix. I obviously updated her and gave her a better personality, but I hope it works for you. Trust me, I have a pretty intense arc planned for her and rest assured, this is not her final meeting with her daughter. I'd also like to thank memorysdaughter, for this chapter as she not only created the characters of Patick and Lis, but also wrote this detailed backstory for the two of them, which I decided to share with you here. Next time, though, we get the fallout of the mist event, as Katie comes to terms with her powers as do the others who were effected and we'll see what kind of person Katie will become now that she actually murdered her two best friends even if it was by accident. I'll try to write it as quick as I can, but remember; I have my own life to take care of as well. I'll do it as quick as I can, but don't expect it to be here the next day. But I hope to see you all then! Be sure to leave reviews here as well. Just remember though, as always, I own NOTHING but my OC's. This is for FAN-Purposes only, so PLEASE don't sue.**_


	8. Adaptation

**Hi, everyone! Welcome back again Yeah, I've been away for a long time again. Also, unfortunately we recently lost one of my favoriate horror directors of all time, Wes Craven of A Nightmare on Elms Street and Scream fame, so I've kinda been out of it for a while. I was actually going to post this chapter the day he passed, and then I just got so distraught that I had to hold off a little bit as there were some scenes I had originally put down reminiscent of 'Nightmare,' but I wanted to change that for next chapter seeing as how I felt that the scenes I wrote down was too soon. I apologize if this chapter seems a bit short, but rest assured, there will be more next chapter. However, if you need more of my writing, I've just begun a trilogy of Star Wars 'What If's' which chronicle an alternate take on the original trilogy in which Leia is raised on Tatooine and Luke is raised on Alderaan, thus making Leia Skywalker the new chosen one who must become a Jedi to defeat Darth Vader and Luke the Prince of Alderaan who must lead the rebels against the Empire. I'd recommend it, plus, I made sure Han shoots first. Right now, I'm about to post the story of that universe's version of 'Empire' and then I'll finish with 'Jedi.' Now don't worry, this doesn't mean that I'll stop this story, but I just needed to stretch my legs for a little while and do something else for a little bit to ease myself after I heard the news about Craven. Moving on, I don't really have much to say now, other than probably by the time you read this, S.H.I.E.L.D. will be a few days away from back on TV, and you should be watching as closely as I am. I know Marvel has had some screw-ups as of recently (*COUGH* FANTASTIC 4 *COUGH*) But I still have faith they can get back on track. Also, in this chapter keep an eye out for another old-school Marvel villain who I've also favorited and felt needs to be adapted to either the big or small screen in the MCU. Anyway, hope you all enjoy this chapter, and be prepared for what happens at the end, because all I'll say is that the last chapter in this story will be radically different from what happened on TV. Hope you enjoy. Oh, and once again I own NOTHING! This is for fan-purposes ONLY, so PLEASE don't sue!**

 _ **The Playground…**_

When Katie awoke, she was relieved to hear the familiar beeping noises that she recognized as The Playground base. That was quite a nightmare she had; her mother, her best friends dying, being exposed to an unknown alien gas, it probably had to be the scariest dream she ever went through.

As she got up, she saw she was in her room, and Arthur was standing outside her door.

"Arthur!" Katie smiled, "You would not believe the dream I just had. I had this nightmare where I…"

As she put her hand forward, she suddenly stopped with confusion. Her hand was glowing green and when she looked at her whole body, it was glowing green as well.

"Katie…" Arthur said, showing clear concern and sadness for her, "I'm sorry to say that wasn't a dream. We broke through the structure and found only you and Skye there. When we tried taking samples of you to make sure you were okay…you turned orange and your hands started emitting this orange energy that burned through the gurney you were lying on."

Katie suddenly remembered everything. Everything she had thought about did happen and that meant Abby and Tabatha were dead. She didn't kill them intentionally, but it made no difference to her. Katie had murdered two people and now she was no better than her mother in her own views. Katie dropped to the ground and started crying hard. Her skin continued to glow with a green radiance as a series of glowing green shapes filled her room.

"Katie." Arthur pleaded, "I'm sorry. I really am. But trust me, I am going to do everything in my power to make sure you stay alive and that S.H.I.E.L.D. will help me do everything we can to help you."

"I want to just die now." Katie cried, "I killed my best friends, Arthur. I'm no different than Mom now."

"Katie." Arthur said, strongly, "Don't say that. Don't ever say that. Remember what happened with my Mom, Katie? Did I give up then? No. I stood tall against every obstacle that was thrown at me since then. And you know who helped me do it, Katie? You did."

Katie looked up at him as the green shapes disappeared, and her skin stopped growing.

"If not for you, Katie," Arthur assured, "I might've actually joined Mom, but you taught me not to dwell on the past and let it control my future. You taught me to live life every day with open-mindedness, and I'm not going to let you give up now. I'm still there for you, Katie."

Katie nodded as she stood up.

"You're not your mother, Katie." Arthur assured, "You're kind, you're smart, you make some good one-liners."

Katie snickered at his last joke and suddenly began glowing yellow. Katie theorized that this might have something to do with her emotions causing these changes, and instead, calmed down and became a bit more serious as she looked at Arthur.

"I forgive you, Katie." Arthur told her, "It's something I don't think any of us will get over, but I will help you as best as I can to try and adapt to these new changes."

Katie nodded and looked at her friend.

"So what now?" She asked.

"For now, just wait there." Arthur explained, "The others are going to do some tests on you to make sure none of this stuff is dangerous like radiation or what not. From there, I will do my damnedest to see you don't spend the rest of your life in that room. I promise you'll be out of there as soon as I can make it happen, okay?"

Katie nodded and went back to her bed, but stopped before Arthur could leave.

"Arthur?" She asked, as he looked back at her, "What happened to Skye? And what happened to Raina, Nick, and Rose?"

Arthur sighed.

"Skye appears to be normal." He replied, "Which probably means this is only an isolated case, most likely. As for the others…we can't tell. Something escaped when the others were doing a sweep of the ruins and we don't know if it was Raina, Rose, Nick, or something else entirely. If it's the last option, they seem to have disappeared off the face of the planet, or they were killed when the temple came down."

Katie nodded sadly as Arthur left her. Katie continued to cry herself to sleep glowing green as the green glowing shapes reappeared in her room. It was nice to know Arthur still had her back, but she was never going to be able to look herself in the mirror again and not think about what she did. There was a cut that ran deep within her heart and she doubted if it would ever fully heal in her lifetime.

….

 _ **Meanwhile,**_

 _ **Afterlife…**_

Rose Anderson awoke with a scream. Looking down, she noticed that she had these weird-looking pins in her arms which was currently on-fire. For some reason, they were resisting the flames which was one of the things that was bugging the hell out of her.

The second was where she was now. She appeared to be in a hospital bed which was situated in a room that appeared to have a lot of ancient Chinese décor styling to it. Suddenly, a door opened and in entered a young man with floppy red hair wearing a black T-Shirt and blue jeans.

"Good." He said, "You're awake. You gave everyone quite the scare when Gordon brought you in. Everyone thought you were literally going to burn the whole place to the ground until Jiaying ended up calming everyone down, at which point you ironically stopped being lit up."

Rose struggled to get up, but suddenly realized that her arms were also tied to the bed which also seemed to be resisting the flames emanating from her body.

"In case you're wondering." The man explained, "Those are both flame-resistant. Don't worry. The restraints are just until the needles are finished with the healing process. They're actually something we built some time ago for people whose powers go out of control and…"

"Who the hell are you?!" Rose interrupted.

"I'm sorry." The man apologized, "My name's Max Jerry. I have aspergers. You were taken into our community late last night after you underwent the transformation."

"Transformation?!" Rose asked, and then remembered everything that happened.

She, Abby, and Tabatha had all gone down to try and get Katie, and Rose had been exposed to some kind of gas that had to be the cause for all this fire emanating from her body.

"Yeah." Max replied, "It's impressive, actually. You went in with literally no training with the wrong tools and it happened with other people in the room. Yet, you're looking perfectly normal…"

"NORMAL?!" Rose demanded, "How is being able to set myself on fire normal?!"

"Hey, now!" Max said defensively, holding his hands up, "It could've been much worse. Trust me. The transformation process could've turned you into a blob of goop, or given you an extra arm. You got off easy, believe me."

"So where am I now?" Rose demanded.

"You're in Afterlife." Max explained, "It's where people who get these abilities the way you did go to, once the transformation has been completed to learn how to control their abilities and be introduced into our society. That's what my job is going to be now, actually. I'm going to train you to control your powers and then you'll be a part of our community here. You're going to love it. There's so many great evens we do…"

"Look." Rose said, "I'm thankful that you're going to train me to use my powers, but I can't stay here. I have friends who need my help back home…"

"I know." Max said, "But you can't go back. It's vital we remain a secret."

So much for the diplomatic route. Rose thought, Let's see if I can take a better approach…

Concentrating hard, Rose managed to shoot a flame out of her hand and into Max's body. Unfortunately, when her flames stopped, she saw that while Max's shirt now bore a burnt hole, she hadn't made a dent at all in his body. He wasn't even singed, and showed no signs of being harmed by the flames.

"By the way." He added, "I forgot to mention my power. I absorb different forms of energy. Neat trick, huh? The people here also used my blood to make the needles that are helping you now."

Rose tried to shoot a flame at a wall, hoping to take the place down with her, but found she couldn't shoot her flames in that direction.

"Plus, I also eventually learned how to block other people's abilities if they had manipulation powers like the ones you've been displaying." Max continued, "Trust me, Ms. Anderson, you're going to learn to control this power and put it to good use here."

Rose felt hopeless as she almost sunk back into her bed that she was confined to.

"Good to see you're now ready to stop with all the unnecessary fighting." Max smiles, "Get some rest now. We'll start your training tomorrow morning."

….

 _ **Meanwhile,**_

 _ **San Juan, Puerto Rico….**_

"Zelda, please." Cal begged as Zelda walked over to a nearby loading/unloading area which contained many large metal storage containers, "Just think about this!"

"I am." Zelda replied, as she reached into her bag and pulled out a gun, "I swiped this off of one of the HYDRA Guys. Figured it'd come into good use eventually, and it looks like it'll pay off."

"What about all that talk with faith that your daughter would survive?" Cal questioned, "What happened to that, Zelda?"

"It doesn't matter, Cal." Zelda replied as she pressed the gun to her head, "What matters is that Katie hates me because I'm a monster in her eyes. So I might as well do her a favor."

"I wouldn't pull that trigger if I were you." A familiar voice called.

Cal and Zelda looked to see a new arrival. It was someone who had a hoodie on so no one would be able to recognize her thanks to the dark shadows caused by both the night and the large boxes, but there was no mistaking whose voice it was.

"I knew I'd find you here." The person told the two.

"Raina…" Zelda said, honestly surprised.

"After all that time, I didn't quite get the answers I was searching for." Raina admitted.

"I'm sorry you didn't find your way to the temple." Cal apologized, "That you didn't get to evolve."

"Oh, I evolved." Raina pointed out.

Without a warning, she grabbed Zelda by the neck and shoved her against one of the crates. Raina then lowered her hoodie and the two could see she had changed completely. Raina's skin was now lighter and her eyes seemed more cat-like than human. But perhaps the most disturbing part was that her head, face, and hands were covered in what appeared to be many spiky thorns.

"What the hell have I become?!" Raina demanded.

"Wait, Raina…" Cal urged, "Let's not lose our heads."

"Shut up!" Raina said, increasing pressure on Zelda's throat, "Or I swear to god, I will kill her where she stands!"

She looked at Zelda.

"What happened to me?" She questioned.

"M…metamorphosis by the looks of it." Zelda wheezed, "But I've never seen anything like what you have."

"I was supposed to become something divine." Raina said, sounding really disappointed, "Something transcendent. My grandmother said I'd be an angle. Not some gnarled freak of nature covered in thorns."

"Well…" Zelda wheezed, "You always did like flowers. And you know what they say about flowers; every rose has its thorn."

Raina slammed Zelda back against the wall again.

"THEY. HURT." Raina declared with as much hate as her voice could muster, "And it's both of your fault."

"You wanted this." Cal said, trying to reason with her, "More than anything."

"But both of your daughters were there." Raina said with more malice in her voice, "They received the gifts that should have been meant for me! Came through the mist as beautiful as ever!"

"Wait, what?!" Cal declared, "Daisy and Katie were there too?! They emerged from the crystals?!"

"Yes." Raina yelled, unaware of the snake slithering out from one of the bags Cal was carrying straight towards her legs, "They took what was mine!"

With that, the snake quickly wrapped itself around Raina's leg and constricted itself tightly causing her to cry in pain and drop Zelda who then threw a right hook at Raina's right ribcage causing her to fall to the ground. Zelda then kicked Raina upwards across her chin as the recently-transformed woman went down.

"We all have our disappointments." Cal told Raina.

"She actually made it then…" Zelda said, amazed.

"See?" Cal smiled, waving a finger, "I told you things would work out."

"I guess they did…" Zelda nodded, "To think…my baby girl has powers now!"

"I know, right?!" Cal laughed.

With that, the two held hands and began skipping around in a circle while dancing. However, Zelda soon stopped when she realized something.

"Oh no." She said.

"What?" Cal asked.

"Katie and Skye are still with S.H.I.E.L.D." Zelda pointed out.

"Oh, that's right." Cal remembered, "That is a big pickle which inconveniences our plans, isn't it? The worst place to be! They're going right on the index. They're going to be tagged like sharks."

"But we'll help them come back to us when they see how S.H.I.E.L.D. treats such individuals, right?" Zelda asked.

"It'll never happen." Raina called out, "They'll never love either of you."

"You know, we should reconnect with some of those on the index." Zelda said.

"I was just thinking the same thing." Cal smiled, "We'll wreak a little havoc. We'll ruin Coulson and that dumb idiot lackey of his, and those dumb suits they wear."

"Right." Zelda said, "Let's keep our heads in the game, Cal."

"Of course." Cal nodded, "Thank you, Zelda."

"That's what friends are for." Zelda smiled, "Besides, my daughter needs me, just as much as your daughter needs you. Even if our children don't realize it yet, we're their parents and it's our responsibility to help them through this time."

"What about me?" Raina asked, fearfully, "You both have to help me!"

Zelda looked at Raina and smiled.

"We did." She told her simply, "We all helped each other. We all achieved our goals. You're on your own now."

Raina shook her head. She was still in denial. She was still foolish enough to believe that she could change what had happened to her. She was an idiot. Zelda knew full well what going through the mist meant and she wanted to make sure Raina understood what was going to happen now.

"You…you have to find a way to fix this…" Raina urged.

"There's no fix." Cal explained, "There's no reverse. It's your lifelong dream. It's lifelong."

"I can't live like this…" Raina pointed out, "My insides feel like gravel. I cut myself when I move. I can't live as this repulsive creature."

"Then don't." Zelda told her simply.

And with that, she and Cal left Raina to question her future now.

….

 _ **Meanwhile,**_

 _ **The Playground…**_

Sabrina and Bruce waited as the computer was analyzing Katie's blood sample to make sure her body couldn't be harmful to any of the other agents after being changed by the gas. It had been a hassle to get through when they first tried to obtain it following the collapse of the ancient city, but they had their sample, yet it was taking hours to get the result back. The best explanation they had was since Katie had been exposed to the alien gas, it might've somehow altered her entire genetic makeup.

The two couldn't imagine what Katie was going through. Not only was she now changed into something entirely new, but faced with the trauma and discovery that Katie's mom was nuttier than the average politician, and the fact that she had murdered her friends by mistake, Katie must've been going through absolute hell.

"How's it coming?" Simmons asked, as she joined the two.

"We're still waiting for the results." Bruce admitted.

"That's odd." Simmons pointed out, "Skye's results came back rather quickly. She seems to be normal and yet we know Katie's changed, so why are you two even bothering?"

"Because Katie's our friend, Simmons." Sabrina pointed out, "And even if she has changed, there's still a chance that she might not even be a threat, or have any kind of radiation or change in her body that could destroy us all. We have to help her in any way we can. I thought we established that."

"I know." Simmons admitted, "It's what I actually came to talk to you about."

Bruce and Sabrina looked at her confused.

"It looks as if Raina survived the process as well." Simmons explained, "And she left behind a sample that I analyzed on my own. I think what we might be dealing with now is a virus."

Bruce and Sabrina looked at Jemma shocked.

"Jemma, what are you saying?!" Sabrina asked, "Are you saying that we should put Katie down?! You just said Skye turned out fine! This could just be a one-in-a-million opportunity!"

"But what if it isn't?" Simmons insisted, "What would happen if Katie one day detonated with enough solar power to match the sun's heat?"

"I can't believe I'm hearing this from you." Sabrina said, "But since you're willing to play 'what if,' let's say that it was Fitz who got the lightshow powers. Would you put him down because it was the right thing, or because you wanted to leave him?!"

"How dare you?!" Jemma declared, "How dare you?! I have worked tirelessly to see if there was anything I could do to help him both medically or through any augmented means. If you've stopped and took time off instead of sleeping with your boyfriend here, you'd realize that there are zero possibilities to help Fitz…"

Jemma was cut off when Bruce punched her in the nose, knocking her back into a table behind them. Jemma looked at him shocked, and then felt her nose as it suddenly began bleeding.

"That's for insulting Sabrina." Bruce told her.

Jemma's face became angered as she leapt at Bruce, attempting to hit him. Neither one had as good of combat training as the rest of their teammates, but both had been in a couple of scrapes that they at least knew how to throw a punch. Jemma punched Bruce in the right cheek as Bruce punched her right in the stomach. Before either could do any more serious damage, Jemma found herself restrained by Fitz, and Bruce by Jessica. Then Arthur stepped into the lab, looking not so pleased.

"Alright." Arthur declared, "What the hell is going on here?!"

"Jemma thinks putting Katie down is the best option!" Sabrina declared, "She thinks that me and Bruce have hit our limit and are instead making out to help our pain."

There was a ding from the computer indicating the tests were finished. A printer then turned on and began printing the results. Arthur walked over and took the sheet, handing it over to Bruce. Bruce read it and looked at him.

"Hand it over to Jemma." Arthur told him.

Jessica brought him over as he handed it to her. Jemma cautiously took the paper and read it. The results said that while Katie's body could potentially give off large amounts of heat, it had no signs of any radiation leaks and that the heat situation could be dealt with using the right equipment available in the labs.

"Alright." Arthur told them, "Now, we have to keep our cool here. Katie's safe, but it looks like we have some work to do in order to help her. I need to remind all of you that she only recently met her biological mother whom it turns out is a sociopath hanging around with a psychopath we already know is extremely dangerous, not to mention that she accidently murdered her friends and is only now discovering these powers. I'm going to bring this to Director Coulson to see what should be done about Katie's current situation, but I don't want ANY of you fighting. The ruins might be destroyed and Whitehall might be dead, but HYDRA's still out there and if history teaches us anything, it's that the space Whitehall left behind is only gonna create a power vacuum that almost everybody else is going to try and fill. So we need to be on guard for everything. That means no petty fighting, and no killing of our own until we get the full low-down on what we're dealing with."

He looked at Jemma and Bruce who both nodded.

"Good." Arthur said, "Now I want both of you to apologize."

Fitz released Jemma and Jessica released Bruce. Jemma sighed.

"I'm sorry." She said.

"I am too." Bruce replied.

"Thank you." Arthur said, "Now everyone back to work. We have a couple of rough years ahead of us most likely."

With that, he and Jessica left the room.

"Arthur…" Jessica tried to say.

"I know." Arthur said, "I'm under a lot of pressure right now. And I can't imagine Katie feels any different. I don't want to lose her. She's too good of an ally and a friend."

Jessica nodded. She only hoped Arthur would be able to maintain his grace under pressure.

….

 _ **Meanwhile,**_

 _ **Location Unknown…**_

Roger James Smith felt a hand slap his face as he suddenly awoke with a start. He tried moving his body, but soon realized he couldn't. Looking up, he was horrified to learn that his body was currently restrained to the Faust Machine.

"No…" He said, anger building as he tried to get loose to no avail, "No, no, no, no, NO! This can't be happening!"

"Oh, it is!" A voice responded.

Roger turned to see Tyler Boateng standing there, with one arm around Maya Katrina. Both had swapped their HYDRA gear for a pair of matching Hawaiian T-Shirts and Short Tan Pants with sandals.

"What the hell are you doing, Boateng?!" Roger demanded, "How did you get the Faustus Machine?! Where are we?!"

"So many questions." Tyler smiled, grinning at Maya who grinned back at him, "To answer your question, Mr. Smith, your little dreams of finally tasting victory over the foe you've been waiting to get revenge on are about to fade into irrelevance. You see, you're going to help us find sanctuary away from HYDRA. I've decided to take Maya under my wing now."

He hugged her tightly as she hugged him back.

"Maya is the sister I've always yearned for." Tyler explained, "Ward sees Agent 33 as a replacement for his lost love, I see Maya as my new family, just as she sees me as her new family. Isn't that right, Maya?"

"That's right, Tyler." Maya smiled.

"Maya!" Roger roared, "I demand you to…!"

"See, that's the problem." Maya snapped, "You just keep demanding, never thinking about other people. I actually loved you as a father. I did. And what did you do to me?! You stabbed me in the back and cut a wound deep in my body."

"Which is where I come in." Tyler continued, "You see, I know what it's like to be betrayed. To be caged with nowhere else to go. So we won't be going back to HYDRA, and we won't be turning ourselves into S.H.I.E.L.D. or any other form of authority. We are going to retire to somewhere like…Hawaii."

"And where do I fit into all of this?!" Roger demanded.

"Why, Roger." Tyler smirked, "I thought you'd get this by now. You are going to be the one to pay for our little retirement trip and make sure we remain safe."

Roger's eyes widened as he suddenly realized why he was in the Faustus Machine.

"No…" He declared, "No! No, you can't do this to me?!"

"Why not?" Maya asked, turning on the machine, "You did it to me without any permission."

"Maya, please!" Roger begged, "Listen to reason!"

"I am." She smiled, "And his name is Tyler Boateng."

Roger struggled more, but it was no use.

"Shhh…." Tyler assured, as Roger's eyes finally laid on the screen before him, "Just relax. And focus…"

With that, Roger James Smith felt his mind go blank as his new priorities started to get programed into him. Tyler chuckled as did Maya.

"So how funny was it seeing his reaction on a scale from 1 to 10?" Tyler asked.

"I'd give it about an 11." Maya grinned, as the two of them sighed.

"To think," Maya pointed out, "I'll finally be able to have some down-time in…god knows how long."

"I know." Tyler assured, putting his arm around her shoulder again, "And I promise you; I'll stick with you till the end. You know why?"

Maya shook her head.

"Nobody puts you in the corner." Tyler said, as Maya smiled back.

…

 _ **Meanwhile,**_

 _ **Afterlife…**_

Jiaying was working on some more things to help the latest people who had come in here. She smiled knowing one of the people who would be coming in now very soon would be her daughter, Skye. Jiaying had anticipated her baby daughter would eventually go through the mist and now she was relieved to hear that from what information they had uncovered, Skye had come out perfectly normal without any deformities in her body. Of course, she knew her husband would try to bring her together with him, so her plan was to pick up Cal first, calm him down, have Skye sit down with the both of them to patch things up, and then send him back and allow him to visit every so often.

Jiaying looked up to see a tall young man with short, dark brown hair and blue eyes, wearing blue jeans, a black shirt, a dark gray hoodie and black sneakers arrive. This was Michael Weiss, an Inhuman with the power to read and manipulate memories. Michael wasn't the most conversational of people, but he was a good help around this place, and he came in handy if there was a lie going on around Afterlife.

Right now, he had been trying to read the mind of the new Inhuman named Raina who had been brought in. Apparently, Raina had been with a few others who had been changed and was being really resistant to telling them the full details, so they had to ask Michael to poke around in there, just in case.

"Any others we should start making plans for?" Jiaying asked.

"Just one more." Michael explained, "She seems to hate your daughter a lot, but she also has a strong hatred for someone named Katie Sheila."

"Did she see Katie develop any powers?" Jiaying asked.

"She believes she saw Katie glowing different colors and creating constructs of some kind." Michael answered, "Of course, she believes this is just a fraction of what this Katie can do, so either she's being serious, or this is just another one of her crazy illusions."

Jiaying nodded.

"Was there any other details I should know about?" She asked.

"She seems to believe that her mother and your husband have been working together for the past few months." Michael told her, "I got a name from her. Zelda DuBois."

Jiaying's eyebrows rose as she looked at him.

"Zelda DuBois?" Jiaying asked, amazed, "Then Katie's her daughter?"

"That's what Raina has been lead to believe." Michael told her, "Why, you know her?"

Jiaying got up and looked out at Afterlife reminiscing on the past.

"Back when I first met my husband," She explained, "He met this young woman he became friends with named Zelda DuBois. At the time, she was calling herself 'Princess,' because her parents had died and although she never got the love she deserved, she still felt sad when she went to China to learn on becoming a vet and her parents died while she was studying. I helped her out by introducing someone from our society to her, and the two ended up falling in love and even had their wedding here in afterlife."

"What happened to her?" Michael asked.

Jiaying's smile faded.

"When I was kidnapped." She explained, running her fingers along the scars that she had carried since that day, "HYDRA needed to test someone to make sure they could transfer powers. They kidnapped Zelda's husband and tore him apart. Apparently, something within Zelda died that day with her husband. Because when I saw her again after Cal revived me, she wasn't a kind and loving person that she was when I first met her. Instead, I saw a raging animal who wanted revenge on everyone she felt had wronged her."

Jiaying sighed as she recalled when she first saw Zelda, she was emotionally devastated and it became apparent that day the wound left inside Zelda would probably never fully heal.

"So what do we do now?" Michael asked.

"I think we should get another room ready for her." Zelda explained, "Tell Gordon and Aliselyn I need all information on what Zelda's been up to since last I saw her."

….

 _ **Meanwhile,**_

 _ **Martha's Vineyard, Massachutes…**_

"Never thought that I'd ever visit the place where _Jaws_ was filmed." Cal declared, as Zelda drove their rental car up to the lone house as AC/DC's 'Highway to Hell' was playing on the Radio, "Who did you say lives here again?"

"An old friend." Zelda explained, "He helped me out a long time ago, and I think I can convince him to join our little group now."

"And if not?" Cal asked.

Zelda sighed.

"I think I can convince him." She assured.

With that the two exited their car, and walked up to the house which looked like it fell between the kind of house that belonged to the Middle and Upper Class people. It was positioned within a forest complete with a hot tub behind the house. Walking up to the door Zelda took a deep breath and knocked on there. A few seconds later, the two heard the sound of something unlocking from the other side and then the door opened revealing a portly man in his 40's with long messed up aburn hair and beard stubble, wearing an orange T-Shirt and blue jeans with grey sneakers. He scowled at Zelda who simply gave a small wave as if they were old friend.

"Maxxy!" Zelda said, enthusiastically, "Hi!"

"Screw you!" 'Maxxy' frowned as he slammed the door shut on her.

"Maxxy?" Zelda asked, "I'm sorry about what happened the last time we met, but it worked for me! Everything happened the way I said it would, and now I need your help again. Please?"

There was no response.

Cal stepped forward and knocked on the door again. This time, when Maxxy opened, Cal imminently head-butted him, knocking him unconscious. He then quickly took Maxxy into his house and sat him down in the den in his living room. Zelda brought him some duct tape from his basement and the two tied him up so he couldn't move. Zelda smiled as Cal looked around some more. The den was actually quite nice and featured some rather artistic paintings that seemed to mostly be of the green fields up here that he had seen on the drive over to his house.

"Can you please tell me the name of this guy and what he does?" Cal asked.

"His name's Maxwell Markham." Zelda explained, "He's a small-time thief who somehow managed to be a big deal back in our day."

"How did you come to know him?" Cal said, "And what was this 'it worked out for me,' thing you were talking about?"

"Look." Zelda assured, "All I'm saying is that when I was looking for a way to have an inhuman kid, I did a job for somebody and Max was involved. He just might be pissed because when I did the job, I ended up leaving him behind to be caught by the police."

Before Cal could respond, Max began to groan and suddenly came back to consciousness again. When he realized the position he was in, he tried struggling, but found he couldn't break free.

"You little shit!" Max screamed.

"Watch your language," Cal warned, "Or I'll rip out your tongue and feed it back to you."

"Cal." Zelda warned, "Remember, we need him for a mission."

"You haven't changed one bit, Z." Maxwell chuckled, "Look at ya! Running around with another sociopath."

"Let's cut to the chase." Zelda explained, "As I said, the job I helped you out with worked, okay? Now I need your help to do something else."

"Forget it." Max replied, "I'm done taking orders from you."

"You're still mad?" Zelda asked.

"Yep." Max replied, "After everything I've been through, can you blame me? Do you know what it's like to be put in a prison for so long and spend ten years of your life without seeing the sun? I don't image you would. Besides, I have new priorities in my life."

With that, the phone rang and they looked at Max.

"Let me speak to whoever it is." He said, "Put it on speaker."

Zelda brought the phone over and pressed 'talk' before putting it on speaker and handing it over to Max's mouth.

"Hello?" He asked.

"Hello, Max? Baby?" A female voice replied, "How are you?"

"Good, honey." Max lied, as Zelda and Cal looked at each other shocked, "Where are you? I thought you and baby Jenni would be here by now."

"I know." Max's wife said, sadly, "But Mom had another incident at the hospital and we had to stay here. The next reservation we can get is next week. Is that all right."

"It works, Julie." Max nodded.

"Thanks." Julie responded, "All right. I'll talk to you later then."

"Sure." Max responded, "I love you, baby."

"I love you too." Julie said, almost in a singing voice.

With that, Zelda hung up and looked at Max dumbfounded.

"I actually have a family now." Max told them, "I don't work crimes any more, Z. I work as a teacher and driving instructor up here year-round. So whatever idea you have for me, forget it."

Zelda stood there, and got an idea.

"Can I ask you something?" Zelda asked, "Could you imagine what happened if your daughter was stolen? If you had never seen her for most of your life and then she grew up without you?"

Max looked at her angrily.

"Is that a threat, Zelda?" He demanded, "Because I got some fight left in me…"

"It's not a threat." Cal told him, "It's what's happened to her daughter."

Max looked at her now curiously.

"Besides," She pointed out, "I did you a solid back in the day, remember? You were so far in Jail when I met you that they were actually considering drafting your ass up to go to war. I stepped in and saved your life for you so you wouldn't have to put it on the line."

She sighed and looked at him.

"I wouldn't be doing this if I wasn't desperate to get my daughter back." Zelda said, "I know that I ended up getting you thrown back in prison, but I'm just begging you…help me just this once. If not, it's okay. But I just had to ask." Max sat there thinking about it. He couldn't deny if something happened to his daughter, he'd be doing exactly what Zelda was doing right now. Groaning, he decided he'd make this his final trip.

"How long is this thing you've got planned?" Max asked.

"It'll last no more than five days." Zelda assured, "Afterwards, you can go straight back and watch your kid grow up. See her take her first steps, hear her first words, take her to school, and do all those amazing things I never got to do with my kid."

Max softly cursed. There was no way he could back down now. It was how Zelda recruited him so long ago.

"Fine." He groaned, "I'm in. But this is the last time, okay?"

"Got it." Zelda smiled, looking at Cal, "What did I tell you, Cal?"

"Alright then." Cal said, removing the duct tape from Max, "So just so you know, my name's Cal. I've been a friend of Zelda's for a long time."

"Can I just ask what specifically you got in mind?" Max asked Zelda as he got up.

Zelda smiled.

"Revenge and Pain." Zelda grinned, "Two of my favorite things to inflict on people who get in my way."

….

 _ **Meanwhile…**_

Katie thrashed and turned in her bed. In the waking world and her dream, she was glowing bright green. In her dream, she stood before Arthur, looking at her hands horrified.

"I can't control it, Arthur." She cried, "Run! Go now!"

"Katie, please!" Arthur begged, "Don't do this!"

"I can't…" Katie cried, "I can't…"

"Katie…" Arthur began.

He was cut off when a light beam shot out of her hand disintergrating him. It was then that Katie woke up with a startled scream, her body glowing greener than ever before. In some weird way, she almost looked like a female version of the Hulk.

Looking to the right, she noticed Melinda May was standing in the doorway.

"Get yourself dressed." May said simply, "Coulson wants you to follow me to somewhere."

Katie was nervous, but she eventually did so, trying to keep herself calm the whole way through. May didn't say a word and neither did Katie. Not when she got into one of the flying cars sitting next to May as she flew it to places unknown.

….

 _ **Later…**_

Katie was confused when May dropped her outside a relatively-looking normal house. It was then that she began to glow a bit green, though not as bright as she had been glowing before.

"I'll be back to pick you up in about two hours." May told her, "The doors unlocked so you can let yourself in."

With that, May drove off, as Katie looked at the door. She cautiously opened it and walked inside to find a relatively nice interior.

"Hello?" She asked, cautiously.

"Hello." A voice replied, "I'm in the back here."

Walking toward the back, Katie was met with an African American man with short black hair wearing a grey business suit over a blue buttoned-down shirt and grey pants. He was in the apparent kitchen of the house, making himself a glass of water. Noticing her, he smiled.

"You must be Katie." He said, "My name's Andrew Garner. I'm a psychiatry professor at Culver University, but I was originally a psychologist for S.H.I.E.L.D."

"I'm sorry." Katie apologized, "I never heard of you."

"It's quite all right." Garner assured, "I left before you joined. Anyways, come have a seat. Can I get you anything?"

"I'm sorry." Katie apologized, taking a seat at the table, "What is this all about?"

"All right." Andrew admitted, "Here's the thing; your friend Arthur and his boss Coulson have spoken to me about your problem, and they agreed that it'd be best for you to talk about some of these issues with someone before you go back into the field. So starting today, May is going to bring you here, and we'll have a one-on-one session."

Katie gave a soft laugh, but shook her head.

"I'm sorry." She apologized, "This all seems nice, but I don't know what made Arthur and Coulson believe any psychiatrist could understand what I'm going through…"

"Well, I'm not any psychiatrist." Andrew smiled, "I'm also May's former husband."

Katie's eyes widened.

"What…?" She asked, amazed, as she began glowing green and yellow at the same time, "You mean that May used to be married?!"

"Yes." Andrew stated, observing Katie's changes, "And I've already been briefed on your…let's just call this for now a 'gift'… and I think it's something I can handle."

Katie shrugged. The pain was still there. She could still feel it. But talking to Andrew gave her at least something else to talk about. Plus, if he really was prepared, then maybe she could learn how to control this in the future. Deep down inside, Katie unfortunately knew she would have to live with the burden that she accidently killed her friends, but now at least she could talk about her feelings. Maybe it would get easier in time.

Right now, Katie felt like she needed someone to talk to about this.

…

 _ **Meanwhile,**_

 _ **Afterlife…**_

Max returned and smiled. Rose had stopped flaming, so he got to work on removing her dampeners.

"Now," He explained, "It's going to take some time getting used to and controlling your powers, but I think you're going to fit in nicely. We get good food, everyone who lives in this community works well together. I think you and I will get along…"

He was cut off when Rose threw a right hook at his face, knocking him down for the count. Freeing herself from the restraints, Rose dashed out of the room and out of the building…

Only to discover that she was in a mountain village with no clear way down. Rose looked around at the village which had a bit of a Chinese theme going around for it, and a couple of people looked at her confused. Before Rose had a chance to react, she suddenly felt tired. Rose tried her best to stay awake, but eventually the urge to sleep became too great for her to fight and she collapsed onto the ground unconscious.

Behind her, Michael walked up and from there, he began doing something he hated doing usually. There were times when he could make exceptions and not have to do this to one person for a day, but he had wasted that card on Raina, so now he was going to have to wipe Rose's memory and replace it with one more fitting to calm her down.

….

 **Dun-Dun-Dun! So there you go, everyone! The next chapter has been posted! Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this one, and that I was able to make up for lost time. Next chapter will see Zelda and Cal assembling a combo-army to take revenge on Arthur and Coulson, while Katie continues her therapy with a new playmate. Though I think you know who it's going to be at this point. For those who don't…spoilers. Anyways, please review and I'll see you soon!**


	9. The Tormentors

**Hi, everyone! So here I am again with another update! Sorry this wasn't posted earlier today, but I had a lot to do this week including FINALLY receiving and setting up a great new game called LEGO: Dimensions. If you haven't played it, just look it up and you'll understand why I'm loving this game so far. Anyway, by the time you read this, S.H.I.E.L.D. Season 3 will have started and from what I understand, it seems to have finally satisfied most critics. I presume someone will find something small to complain about, but what are you going to do? I will say the acting from Fitz and Simmons during the premiere and the following episode deserves an Emmy Award. I again also have to apologize for the long breaks, but I still have to work, but hopefully I can continue doing this story and have the chapter done by next year and MAYBE do the Spec-Ops Team 3. Anyways, here is the next chapter featuring some more twists and turns, and a revelation which is the only way I could end this chapter. Plus, see if you can spot any other old-school Marvel characters here. Hope you all enjoy. As always, I own NOTHING but my OC's. This is for FAN-Purposes only so PLEASE don't sue! Other than that, enjoy!**

 _ **The Playground,**_

 _ **Earlier…**_

Something strange was going on around here, and Jason didn't like it. Not one bit.

It wasn't just the fact that he was working for S.H.I.E.L.D. who now had access to someone who possessed superpowers, nor was it the fact that earlier today they had two Asgardians who nearly wrecked the damn place, but he noticed some inconsistencies with two of the agents. Bobbi and Mack.

Jason assumed that if something were going down, it would have to be between Bobbi and Hunter, but seeing as how he couldn't be found, that only added onto his paranoia.

So now here he was while most of the team was occupied elsewhere, looking at some of the damage left behind from the fight which wasn't much, but it was sufficient.

As Jason took another step, he heard something odd as his foot made contact with the ground. Confused, he took his foot up and stepped back down again. It felt hollow. Like there wasn't actually a floor down there. Testing out a theory, Jason stepped back and pressed his foot down, resulting in a normal stepping sound that was clearly different from the one he just took. Kneeling down, he took out a small knife from his belt and began wedging the block up until he was able to pull it up. Inside, he found to his surprise a small metal box with some kind on antenna on it. Additionally, the block he was holding was hallow because the interior had nothing in it. It was nothing more than a box to conceal the device.

"Yo, Jason!" Mack declared, entering the room, "Team's almost back! You need anything?"

"We need to contact them now!" Jason declared, showing Mack the device.

Mack's eyes widened when he say it and he looked at the fellow S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent.

"How did you find that?" He asked, concerned.

"I noticed the steps were a bit different when I put one foot down on this block when compared to the others." Jason explained, pointing at the hole.

"Thanks, Jason." Mack replied.

Jason turned around only to be met with a punch in the face before he became unconscious.

With no one watching, Mack began to drag Jason's body away and then took out a small communicator device.

"It's me." Mack said, "Yeah. He almost made us. So do you want me to…"

He paused, listening to the voice on the other side before responding.

"All right." He said, "I understand. I'll bring him in as well. Don't worry. He'll still be in one piece. All right. Bye."

With that, he hung up and began making preparations to move Jason's unconscious body.

…

 _ **North Carolina,**_

 _ **Now…**_

Jeremy Jeradson was a man who liked things this way. A former IT employee, it was his dream to one day run a company that made technological advancements. Nothing as flashy as Stark's company, but rather one that could utilize technology in creative ways. To him, wires and cables could be used as weapons and not just to strangle people or hack into their computers. No, to him, technology could do things like cause a meltdown at a power plant remotely, detonate a stinger missle before it even launched. The possibilities were endless, and he worked day and night to train his brain in finding out the way that sort of technology could benefit wars.

As he wrote down his calculation on the board, he heard a knocking at his apartment door. Looking behind him confused, he got up from his computer and answered. To his surprise, there was Zelda and Max along with two other people he hadn't seen in a while. Both were blonde women, but one had darker blonde hair which was tied into a neat bun, while the other just had hair that looked like it hadn't been brushed in weeks.

"Hi, Jeremy." Zelda smiled, "How's life been treating you? Still trying that whole 'I'll build Skynet one day,' routine I see."

"Zelda." Jeremy smiled.

Although their last meeting had ended…badly, Zelda was the only person who ever treated Jeremy like a human being. Long ago, he had worked with these people, and most of his life people had often just called him 'Jeradson,' but Zelda called him by his first name first and foremost. A nice woman living in a dark time. Even after their team's disbandment following the…incident that Zelda had gotten them into, Jeremy still had a respect for Zelda.

"The one and only." Zelda grinned, "But I'm not here to catch up unfortunately."

"I would actually be disappointed if that were the case." Jeremy chuckled.

"Yeah." Zelda nodded, "Look, I've got the band back together again as you can see, but we need you to complete the group."

"You've shown me kindness despite everything that happened." Jeremy replied, "What kind of a person would I be not to come back and return the favor?"

"Glad to hear it." Zelda said, "Except we're doing this a little different this time. This time we're going to get revenge on a certain bastard who's stuck his nose where it shouldn't be."

….

 _ **Meanwhile,**_

 _ **The Playground…**_

Jessica exhaled deeply as she fell on top of Desmond before rolling onto her own side of the bed they were currently sharing. The two breathed heavily as Jessica ran a hand through her hair looking amazed.

"Wow…" She breathed.

"Yeah." Desmond smiled softly.

The two had been growing closer now since Katie's powers developed and now with Skye's powers having been revealed, the two felt that they would need each other for support through these tough times. Desmond felt he also needed this because somewhere out there, his younger cousin was running around doing god-knows-what. They eventually learned that Tyler had somehow managed to get himself out of the HYDRA base along with that Maya girl who went missing from the Convention, and apparently took Roger James Smith with him as well. God only knows what the two were doing now. True, Roger was a monster, but Tyler's warped sense of righteousness made him even more deadly and if he could manipulate Maya into working for him, it meant that it would probably be wise to start writing up some contingency plans in the possible event that he might return to wreak havoc on S.H.I.E.L.D. and anyone else he felt had wronged him.

"What's on your mind?" Desmond asked her.

Jessica shrugged.

"Everything." She admitted, "It's just with all the craziness that's happened with Katie, now Skye…I mean, how do we even deal with it?"

"We try to support our friends like we always have." Desmond assured, "They're still the same people. We have to remember that."

"I know." Jessica nodded, "But it's kind of hard to think of it that way when there's so much more going on now."

"Which is why we shouldn't lose focus." Desmond reminded her as he got up to get redressed.

"Yeah." Jess nodded, putting her own garments back on.

"By the way," Desmond asked, "Did you see Jason today, by any chance?"

Jessica looked at him confused.

"No. Why?" She asked.

"He seemed to be making progress with us, and then he just upped and vanished for some reason."

Jessica shrugged.

"Well, I don't know. I mean there were some tensions between us and him after all. Plus he shot your Aunt, remember?"

"Yeah." Desmond agreed, "Of course I haven't forgotten that. But he was under a mind-control remember. That's different from being able to actually pull the trigger voluntarily. I'm still pissed that it happened, but I think it'd be important also to worry more about who made him do it, and why."

Jessica thought about it and realized he was right.

"Don't know what to tell you then, Desmond." She answered, "But who knows with Jason?"

"Well, if you see him, let me know." Desmond told her.

"Look," Jessica replied, finishing getting redressed, "If this is about Tyler joining HYDRA…"

"It's not." Desmond assured, "I already helped save you, and I want to help doing good without mindless death is all. That's part of why I'm staying with all of you."

"Okay." Jessica sighed, "Well, see you same time?"

"As always." Desmond replied.

….

 _ **Meanwhile…**_

Katie looked over at Skye who was twiddling her thumbs and keeping quiet. During their most recent encounter with two Asgardians, Skye revealed that she had in fact been changed by the mists as well. However, her powers had turned out to be controlling earthquakes. Needless to say, there was a lot of distrust around the base, mainly towards Skye and Fitz (who had swapped her blood during the testing to make her seem human,) and Katie felt really sorry for her fellow agent.

They were both freaks now, with weird powers and unsure if they belonged anywhere on this team.

Right now, they were waiting for May to return with Andrew. Apparently, Andrew had felt that perhaps it would be best to have them both interviewed together, seeing as how Katie had made some greater strides in controlling her powers. Skye had no idea what she was in for with Andrew's past, and Katie figured it would probably be the closest thing to a fun surprise if Skye learned it during her first meeting for herself.

"So…" Skye asked, breaking the awkward silence, "You're not going to tell me anything about what this guy's like?"

"Sorry." Katie replied, "I don't want to spoil it."

Katie felt a small tremor, and looked over at Skye who looked down before the tremor stopped.

"I'm sorry." Skye said, getting up, "This is…this is just stupid, I mean…how are you doing it, Katie?"

In her past few meetings with Garner, Katie had discovered a way to control her powers by keeping focus on something. While this focus helped her control her powers better, it didn't help at night so Katie had to close the doors to her room which was now covered up to prevent her light from shining outwards through the glass walls and door. But while Katie felt more at peace with controlling this bizzare new gift she had been given, she still felt guilt for what she had inadvertently done in the chamber to her friends. On her worst nights, she would imagine trying to save them only for her hands to shoot out rays of light which heated up to burn the two alive. She would then wake up to find one of these new freakish powers dissipating after almost wrecking her room. But Katie was worried about what these abilities might mean for her in the long term. Katie was still afraid of becoming like her mother. She was worried one day someone close to her would die again and she would become just as insane as her mother was. She imagined Skye felt the same way about her true father.

"I just need something, Katie…" Skye begged, "Just…something that helps me through this…"

"Okay." Katie said, "Calm down. It's…something I talked to this guy about. The way my emotions tie into my powers, he said sometimes I have to focus on this thing that means a lot to me, and when I do…it's like my powers go away."

"So what's the thing that means the most to you, if you don't mind me asking?" Skye questioned.

Katie gave a soft smile.

"It's something I often fantasized about as a kid." Katie admitted, "On rough nights at the orphanage I grew up in, I imagined my parents coming to get me and then raising me to adulthood. I'd always come up with different reasons why they left; they were soldiers who got captured and recently got released, they were scientists who went through this experiment and only recently recovered safely. But there was one thing constant in these daydreams; they loved me for who I was and nothing else."

She looked over at Skye who was staring at her funny. Katie shook her head.

"It's stupid, I know." She admitted.

"No, it's not." Skye assured, "I did the same thing when I was younger. I always imagined my dad was a secret agent. But I guess it's not as I expected."

Skye and Katie shared a brief laugh.

But deep down, they knew it would never be enough.

…

 _ **Meanwhile,**_

 _ **Muskingham County, Ohio…**_

This was one of the new moment in his life that Arthur hated the most. Leaving Katie behind alone without him. By this point, Katie wasn't just his best friend, she was his responsibility especially now that she had these weird powers. Arthur practically valued Katie as a daughter he never had and learned just as much from her as he had taught her. But when Phil told him that Katie's Mom and Cal had been sighted nearby, they imminently went to this secure S.H.I.E.L.D. Prison to check out the damage and see what these two lunatics were up to.

Arthur saw Katie's mom as a threat not just to the world, but to Katie as well. Her mother was clearly insane and it wasn't just because she had a pet snake and ran around with psychopaths. Arthur had decided to read up more on Katie's mother ever since they learned of Katie's powers and didn't like what he had found. From the end of the 80's to the early 90's, Katie's Mom had been killing people for some reason though it was unclear why as authorities never caught her before she disappeared off the face of the planet following an unclear escape from some purist radicalists. Most of them seemed like crackpots and con-artists but Arthur couldn't help but shake the feeling that there was something deeper to her madness. But regardless, she was a murderer who abandoned two children that no longer earned the right to call Katie her daughter. She had to be locked away as far away from Katie as possible. Katie was only beginning to control her powers and Arthur was aware from her frequent missed visits to his office to hang out that she was worried about hurting him. She was unstable and Arthur could tell that Katie's mother would exploit that fear to try and bring her daughter around.

As Coulson and Bobbi talked to the authorities about checking out the damage done to the prison Katie's Mom and Skye's Dad broke into, Arthur watched the footage on a pad-like device that Bobbi had given to them. He was watching Katie's Mom motioning for some people to come out before she pointed at the camera and then flipped the camera off. Arthur knew she was trying to get under his skin and it was kind of working in some respect. This was a woman who wanted him to know what she was doing so she could gloat about it to him when they finally met again face-to-face. But why?

"All right." Coulson called to him, "Mr. Williams, we're going into the basement."

Arthur sighed and handed the device back to Bobbi. They then went into the facility and continued to go down until they came to a cell which had the power cut save for a red flashing light. Some sparks erupted, indicating that this place had seen better days. From the briefing Coulson had given Arthur, this place was apparently a secret S.H.I.E.L.D. Prison for criminals with abilities who didn't belong on the surface. Thus, they got thrown here in this deep hole and had the key thrown away.

Well, that's how it had been until today anyway.

"I don't like what they've done with the place." Arthur told them, as they kept their guns ready.

"How many prisoners were housed here?" Bobbi asked.

"Two." Phil answered.

"Really?" Arthur questioned, with a raised eyebrow.

"John Bruno." Phil elaborated, "Military assassin. He became an obsession, discovering creative ways to kill."

"Charming." Bobbi replied with clear sarcasm in her voice.

"Not so scary, however as bachelor number two." Phil continued, "He's…"

As they passed a corner, Bobbi suddenly found herself ambushed by a prisoner who slammed her against the wall.

"You shouldn't have come down here." The prisoner growled.

Phil and Arthur got ready to make a move, but before they could, Bobbi pushed him off and then the two began punching and blocking each other's moves. Eventually, Bobbi managed to get a good punch to the guy's stomach and then lifted him up before bringing him down and twisting his arm, and then finishing with a blow to the head. After securing him, Bobbi approached the two as if nothing had happened.

"Well, damn." Phil said, "Now where's bachelor number two?"

As the three continued their investigation, Phil resumed his conversation.

"David A Angar." Phil explained, "Vocal chords were exposed to experimental energy blasts. No tumors, but left him with a voice that triggers the central nervous system. Induces imminent catatonia with the slightest whisper."

Phil stopped to look to his right.

"Here's his room." Phil pointed out.

Arthur and Bobbi looked at the open cell confused.

"Any idea what that means?" Bobbi asked.

Written on the wall were two sentences inked in what appeared to be blood.

On the top were the words 'Fight On,' and bellow it were the words 'We'll be on the house tonight.' Both in very different handwriting, but even without the writing the two S.H.I.E.L.D. Agents didn't need to be told who the messages came from.

"Other than Skye's Father and Katie's Mother being completely crazy?" Phil asked, "No."

"Couldn't have put it better myself." Arthur admitted.

As they made their notes and left, Bobbi pulled Arthur back to talk to him.

"Can I talk to you seriously for a minute?" She asked.

"Okay." Arthur said, a bit confused.

"I know you're concerned about Katie's Mom. It goes without saying that she's a real nutcase."

"Yeah." Arthur nodded.

"But do you really think Katie needs this kind of protection? I'm not asking if we shouldn't catch her. I'm asking if you think what you're doing is enough."

Arthur sighed and shook his head.

"I don't honestly believe I'll ever know the answer to that question, to tell you the truth." He admitted, "I don't know what Katie's capable of, but that doesn't mean I wouldn't walk to hell and back to help her."

He looked at Bobbi curiously.

"Why do you ask?" He questioned.

"No reason." Bobbi replied.

After getting back to their plane, the three began to review their notes as well as traffic cameras to find a match on the van the lunatics had taken.

"At least we know who we're looking for." Bobbi pointed out.

Coulson nodded with a sigh. Arthur was silent trying to figure out the meaning of what Katie's Mom message was. It obviously was a giveaway to where she was, but home? Arthur hadn't been home in years and since his Mother's supposed death, he had already sold the house figuring he'd never go back. He regretted it, yes, but he didn't see how that would work. He also considered The Playground, but dismissed it seeing as how Katie's Mom didn't know the location and even if she did, there was no way she could take on all those agents even with the added help.

"Sometimes, ignorance is bliss." Phil pointed out, listing off the names of Cal's recruits. Arthur kept silent as he looked at a tablet indicating the faces from the prison footage that had been with Katie's Mom. The names included Karla Soffen, Julia Covington, Maxwell Markham, and Jeremy Jeradson, all petty thieves, but all had surprisingly come up in the S.H.I.E.L.D. Archives, having committed a crime that had been mostly redacted with the only key source being the date. 1993. The same year that Katie's Mom had disappeared. Arthur knew something was going down and he intended to get to the bottom of it. He still couldn't get that riddle out of his head. All these answers seemed to be in front of him and yet at the same time they felt so far away as well.

"Sir," Bobbi pointed out, after Coulson had reviewed Cal's group, "These people are on the index, but they're not gifted."

"They were considered highly dangerous." Phil admitted, "A larger part is more just of a watch list."

Coulson then reviewed the name Karla Faye Gideon. Apparently this was some kind of woman who grafted metal into her nails. Because of course Cal and Zelda would pick up other lunatics as Arthur nodded.

"Are you sure that Skye's father is the ringleader?" Bobbi questioned.

"Without a doubt." Phil assured.

"Then why does Katie's Mom have her own team?" Bobbi asked.

"If I knew that answer, Zelda DuBois would be buried in that prison far away in a padded cell for the rest of her life." Arthur admitted.

"Fight on…" Phil repeated, "Could be a call to arms? Maybe he wants to wage war on us. But where?"

They thought as Arthur decided to think outside in silence. He thought long and hard about the clue Katie's Mom had left behind, all the while the image of Zelda flipping him off played over as if to mock him. He remembered a few years ago when he would go in on his own without help from others. That was when he was a jerk and was such a stickler from the rules. Hell, even Jess had apparently said that about him when she first heard about the incident in the bar with…

Arthur stopped and his eyes widened. The bar. It all made sense.

'We'll be on the house tonight.'

Arthur ran back into the plane and looked at Coulson and Bobbi Seriously.

"I know where Katie's Mom is." He stated.

"Good." Coulson replied, "Because we know where Skye's Dad is."

….

 _ **Meanwhile,**_

 _ **The House on Midnight,**_

 _ **Wisconsin…**_

Zelda thanked the waiter who brought her and her friends their orders. Zelda had to admit this wasn't such a bad place and Arthur Williams was a real idiot to have kicked everyone out of this fine establishment. She would probably have to show a tiny bit of pity on Raina and try to remember to send a 'Thank You,' card when she could. Without Raina, Zelda wouldn't have known all the things Arthur did which only helped to strengthen her case about why he was not fit to look after her daughter.

As Zelda looked at the others, she could see her old crew was either impatient or wanting to know what she had called them back together for.

"I thought you said that we would be killing people, Zelda." Julia pointed out.

"Oh, we will be." Zelda assured, keeping her phone close to her, "Very soon."

"Oh, for god's sake, just tell us what you brought us back together for!" Maxwell demanded.

"Okay," Zelda assured, "If you probably haven't figured it out by now, this isn't a heist."

Everyone looked at her confused.

"I told you all it would be one last team-up, but it's not to steal any money. Now, I'm all about revenge."

"So that kid of yours…" Jeremy began.

"No…" Zelda assured, "She's safe, but…she's with this guy, Arthur Williams. S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent. He's taken my baby girl and convinced her I'm not her family. Even after she got everything I worked so hard to get her…"

Zelda could feel her blood boiling as she held her drink tightly.

"It's not fair." Zelda declared through gritted teeth, "And not only did he turn my own daughter against me, but he took away the one chance I had of getting revenge on the bastard who set me on this path in the first place." She took a deep breath before she continued, "That's why by the end of tonight, we are going to make Arthur Williams pay. Make him realize he's not Katie's protector even if he believes it to be the case."

With that, her phone rang and she saw it was from Cal. She looked over at Jeremy.

"You ready?" She asked.

Jeremy nodded, with his laptop placed on his lap and his fingers already typing away. Zelda handed everyone a pair of earmuffs which they all put over their ears. Once finished, Zelda nodded and spoke into her phone.

"We're ready." She answered.

With that, Jeremy entered a final key and the power to the bar went out. Before anyone could say anything else, a loud wailing sound was heard over the speaker of Zelda phone. Everyone in the bar suddenly dropped the ground lifelessly save for Zelda and her friends. Once the wail was done, Zelda and the others removed their earmuffs and smiled. It was time to make Arthur Williams pay.

…

 _ **Meanwhile…**_

Arthur and Coulson were explaining the situation to May over the phone. Arthur should've remembered the night at the bar when the then-higher-ups at S.H.I.E.L.D. tried to get him to do something other than training and had him set up on a date with Blair to go to that bar where Arthur had thrown almost everyone else out of for the tiniest of reasons. Coincidently, the location of the bar was also the place where Phil grew up in.

"Skye's Dad is trying to lure me home and Katie's Mom more than likely has a score to settle with Arthur." Phil concluded.

There was a pause before May spoke again.

"You both need backup." She told them.

"Out of the question." Arthur explained.

"Arthur." Phil began.

"May!" Arthur demanded, "I beg you! Katie's not doing as well as you think. I am getting down on my knees. Do NOT under any circumstances send her over!"

With that, the line went dead. Arthur swore and hit his hand against one of the walls.

Phil and Bobbi put their hands on his shoulder as Arthur took deep breaths.

"This is what she wants." Arthur stated, "She wants Katie there."

"May knows to keep her safe." Phil assured.

Arthur sighed. He had to trust that Katie wouldn't do something imminently irrational.

….

 _ **Meanwhile,**_

 _ **The Bus…**_

Katie had to admit the session was going better with Skye joining her and Andrew today. For the most part save for a nervous twitch or two, Skye had kept herself in-check without any disasters happening. Plus, the focus seemed to be more on Skye than Katie which was fine since that meant that she had less pressure going on.

She was barely even paying attention when she realized that Andrew had called her name.

"Kattie?" He asked.

"Hm?" Katie replied, "What?"

"I was asking you if you had anything you would like to share with us today?" Andrew asked again.

Katie shook her head.

"Come on, Katie." Andrew replied, "Skye's been making some progress. You've grown natural and you haven't been changing colors again for a while now. Care to share anything?"

Katie was about to respond when she felt The Bus lurch a bit.

"Uh…" Katie asked, "What's happening?"

"This isn't me." Skye pointed out, "I'm not doing this."

Garner just went to the front as Katie suddenly realized what was happening. They were leaving The Playground. Katie took deep breaths trying to keep herself calm with that memory, but there was still a bit of her that was scared. Katie was keeping it in control for now, but she didn't know how much longer she could take before she lost it.

Eventually Skye got up, leaving Katie alone. Katie was torn between staying here, and going to help. She wanted to help, but she knew that if she went out, she would probably end up hurting others in the process. Arthur had taught her long ago to put herself before others, but now she was in a position where if she tried to help, she risked melting or crushing people with weird constructs.

Katie closed her mind and made a silent debate in her mind. After thinking about it, she got up and left the room. She then entered the briefing room where she found Andrew, May, and Skye all standing around the central board. She walked up to them with nervousness and curiosity.

"What's going on?" She asked.

"Well." Skye answered, "Coulson's being led into a trap by my Dad."

"Where's Arthur?" Katie asked.

"In the same position except we think he's going to get ambushed by your Mom." Skye replied.

Katie suddenly felt that she should have just stayed behind now.

…

 _ **Later,**_

 _ **The House on Midnight,**_

 _ **Wisconsin…**_

Arthur entered the bar, trying to keep focused. Though it was hard to when there were all these unconscious bodies lying around him. The only exception was Zelda DuBois, sitting at a lone table and eating a steak casually as she hummed and softly sang a song to herself.

"Hey, Katie, you're so fine. You're so fine you blow my mind. Hey Katie. Hey Katie."

She looked up and saw Arthur, her lips beginning to turn into a smile.

"Well, look who showed up. Come in! Sit down here."

Arthur frowned and did so.

"Don't bother asking people to leave this time." She replied, "I already made sure they won't be causing too much trouble."

"Let me guess. Angar." Arthur surmised.

Zelda nodded.

"Very good." She replied, taking another bite out of her steak, "I'm sorry that they aren't taking any dinner orders now, but can I get you something to drink?"

"Explain to me why I shouldn't give you a double shot right now?" Arthur asked her.

"Well," Zelda smiled, wiping her mouth with her napkin, "You answered your own question, Mr. Williams. But I wonder…what do you think Katie will say when she sees me dead and you holding the smoking barrel over my body?"

"Katie doesn't love you." Arthur retorted, "Get it through your head, lady. You're a killer and a psychopath and Katie realizes that."

"Why can't you people just leave those like me and Cal alone with our children?" Zelda demanded.

"If I had a guess," Arthur said sarcastically, "I'd say it had something to do with the both of you murdering a bunch of people to get to where you are now."

"Every person I killed, I made sure to take no lives that were innocent." Zelda replied, "I never once took a life that mattered."

"Only because it got easy for you." Arthur shot back, "Because when you kill someone, you get used to the idea. You feel that nothing can touch you, until you see someone beg. And even if you end up being kind and sparing their lives, it doesn't change the fact that you've killed others before. It's a coping mechanism. To try and tell yourself you did good by sparing a life, but it doesn't make up for all the other ones that you took before."

Katie's Mom gave a frown and a nod before looking Arthur directly in his eyes.

"Well, you would know that with all the blood you have on your hands." Zelda replied.

…

 _ **Meanwhile,**_

 _ **The Bus…**_

Katie sat in the interrogation room pacing back and forth extremely uncomfortably. May and Andrew had let Skye go out, but made Katie stay behind since they felt she wasn't ready to face her Mom again. Besides, apparently her Mom was hanging out with a new crew and they had already called in the rest of her team to help out.

Katie was torn on this decision. She still felt that she needed to lock herself far away, least her powers go haywire again and she ended up accidently killing someone. But at the same time she knew Arthur was walking into a trap and from what she was reading up on from the touch-pad device that showed the info on these madmen her mother had recruited, Arthur was in deep trouble.

Katie never felt so helpless and conflicted in her life. She once again had to debate whether or not to help. She thought long and hard until she realized that if she were in this position, Arthur would come to help her no matter the consequences. She had to prove she could still do the same, freaky powers or not.

Katie got up and walked over to the door, trying to open it. To her horror, she found that it wouldn't budge. She kept knocking her body against the door, until she realized what had happened. May must've locked the door from the outside seeing as how Katie tended to get more adgitated since gaining her powers. Katie felt betrayal since she knew May didn't get her nickname of 'The Calvary' by being awesome and that rumor had it something bad happened to her, but her own ex-husband had vouched for Katie being fine. Yet, May had ignored that and gave Katie no voice in the matter instead telling her to wait in the room Andrew had been interviewing Katie and Skye in. Katie began to feel more and more upset as if something inside her body would blow up. As her rage boiled at not even being asked if she could use the bathroom or anything, her body started to glow orange and her fists started to glow with a crackling orange effect. Finally, she struck the door hard and it flung open freeing her from her prison. Stepping out of the room and then out via the cargo ramp, Katie left the Bus, being sure to take an icer with her as she did so. Remembering the name of the place May had mentioned Arthur going to that her mother was seen at, Katie took her phone out and googled the address. After finding the right one, she took off running.

 _I'm coming, Arthur._ She thought to herself.

….

 _ **Meanwhile,**_

 _ **The House on Midnight,**_

 _ **Wisconsin…**_

"Tell me something, Mr. Williams." She asked, "If you had no idea what Katie had become, would you know what to do with her? God forbid had the mist mutated her to the point where she was in pain and begging to die, would you let her die?"

Arthur thought about it. It was honestly a question he never considered.

"If it was what she wanted, I would do it only for her." Arthur stated.

"Then that's why you're not worthy to protect her." Zelda replied, "You're not a hero. You've killed many people, Mr. Williams. Some bad, but some also good. You even killed your own mother which makes me also want to know what's going to happen when I'm gone. Are you going to just forget about me? Write me off and then act as if I never existed? What about Katie? What are you going to do when she's gone? What'll you be then? Who will you be without her?"

Arthur didn't know how Zelda had gotten so well at psychoanalysis, but she was making some very solid arguments that he couldn't fight back against.

"At least I had the courtesy to knock these people unconscious." Zelda explained, snapping her fingers as her pet snake slithered right next to her, "What would you have done? Leave a trail of dead bodies behind like bread crumbs for me to follow you?"

Arthur had decided that he had heard enough and stood up, ready to shoot Zelda in the face. However, he was suddenly stabbed from behind and fell to the ground, his vision suddenly blurring rapidly.

"Oh, my!" Katie's mother declared, sarcastically, "Are you feeling a bit tipsy, Mr. Williams? It's probably because June here drugged you. This leaves you immobilized for about the next three hours or so."

Arthur groaned, trying to get up, only to be shoved face-first into the floor. Max slammed his foot onto Arthur's back as he groaned in pain, while Karla grabbed one of his arms and twisted it behind him. Arthur cried out in pain as Zelda approached him with her pet snake.

"Now let's talk about what you did to my daughter." Zelda suggested, "And then I'm going to kill you."

"MOM!"

Zelda looked up to see Katie standing there in the door to the bar. What surprised her, however, was the fact that Katie was glowing with a mixture of green and orange light radiating through her body.

"Katie…" Zelda breathed, amazed, "You're…you're beautiful. I knew you'd be special but this…"

"Mom…" Katie warned, as green glowing constructs of different shapes and sizes appeared around her, "I am NOT in the mood to talk about what's happened. I will say one thing though. I. AM. NOT. HAPPY!"

Zelda backed up as did her friends.

"You're going to leave NOW." Katie warned, "Even I don't know my full potential yet, and I might accidently end up killing us all."

"Then come with me, Katie." Zelda begged, "I can help you control it…"

"I DON'T WANT TO CONTROL IT!" Katie declared, glowing orange a bit more, "I WANT IT GONE!"

Zelda looked at her daughter feeling very hurt. She didn't know why Katie was so stubborn to refuse the gift she had been given. A gift Zelda worked really hard to give and went through a lot of people to provide.

"Katie…" Zelda said, "I can't take it away. It's a part of you now for the rest of your life."

Katie felt a sinking feeling in her body, but remained strong nonetheless.

"Then get the hell out of my life." Katie spat.

Zelda felt her heart break. Her own daughter confirmed that she was viewing these gifts as something of evil than good. Glaring at Arthur, she grabbed a nearby knife.

"No…" She insisted, "No, he's the one that's done all this. I'll kill him and fix this!"

Before she could bring the knife down, a blue energy source surrounded her and Arthur. Zelda watched as a man with grey hair and no eyes appeared almost out of smoke and grabbed her before teleporting Zelda and her pet snake away. Katie was worried that this might've been her fault that she didn't see one of the objects that looked like the end of a mace float forward, and then fly through the air, hitting Karla in the neck as she fell to the ground.

Katie suddenly realized what had happened as all eyes fell upon her. She backed up terrified as more constructs appeared around her, changing in various shapes and sizes. Katie put her hands on her head, almost as if she believed that by turning away from everyone, it might make everything better.

But it didn't.

Katie had once again killed and this time, she had a feeling she caused it herself. There was no denying now that she was a danger to everyone around her. She felt like her world was going to explode, but instead, she took out her icer gun and shot herself, feeling darkness envelop her until she passed out.

As the remaining of Zelda's crew looked at the mess, a sudden bright light shined down upon everyone. Before anyone could say anything else, there was the sound of breaking glass and a canister which rolled into the room. The next thing that happened was that the can opened up and a gas was released before everyone in the room was unconscious as Arthur and Coulson's team entered to take these criminals in.

….

 _ **Meanwhile…**_

Jeremy had the bright idea to stay out of the action. It was how he got out of that mess the last time he got involved with Zelda, and it was once again paying off for him. As the others got taken up front, he'd simply sneak out the back and get away scot-free.

But as he approached the alleyway opposite of where the men and women of S.H.I.E.L.D. were arriving from, he suddenly felt a boot slam into the back of his head before his face was shoved into the ground and he passed out. Jessica looked at him, proudly.

"That's what you get, asshat!" She smiled.

"Jess?" Faye asked, over their communication links.

"What's going on, Faye?" Jessica replied, dragging the guy's body back.

"There's been a fatality. Arthur and Katie are fine, but…"

There was a pause.

"We think Katie might've accidently killed again."

….

 _ **Later…**_

Katie awoke to find herself back in her bedroom at The Playground. Memories of what'd happened filled her memory as she glowed green again. A sense of sadness swept over her body at the thought of having killed someone for a second time. She was then drawn to a knock at her door.

"Katie?" Arthur's voice asked.

Katie looked to see his silhouette outside the door.

"Katie." Arthur repeated, "I know you're upset, but I owe you for saving my life again."

"Go away, Arthur." Katie cried as tears began falling from her cheeks, "Just leave me."

"Andrew said you're not to go on any missions and Phil said it was for the best, so we're going to put you in a remote cabin for a while." Arthur continued, "It's a nice little place where you'll be able to rest up and try to figure out…"

"I SAID I DON'T WANT TO FIGURE IT OUT!" Katie screamed, turning orange as her body felt warmer. She calmed herself as she turned green again.

"I just want to leave." She said, "I want to stay as far away from you and everyone so I don't end up killing them by accident."

"Katie…" Arthur begged.

Katie just sobbed, pulling her blankets over herself. She listened as she heard footsteps outside move away from her. She didn't care what happened now. She would isolate herself from S.H.I.E.L.D. and everyone else for the rest of her life. Her powers only caused trouble and every time she tried to do good, only ended up causing more harm to others. She was a freak who deserved to be locked away from society until she died.

Katie continued to cry herself to sleep, the green light from her body illuminating the room the entire night through with various constructs bouncing up and down and off the walls the whole way through.

….

 _ **Meanwhile…**_

Zelda screamed, as she pounded away at the walls of this room she was in to try and get out. Everything had gone wrong once again, and fell apart before things could get good. As she continued to wonder where in the hell she was, a door opened and in walked a girl. She had straight blonde hair and freckles all over her face wearing a white tank-top T-shirt and blue jeans.

"You must be Zelda." She acknowledged, in an almost robotic like voice while looking quite cheery at her, "It's nice to meet you. My name's Rose Anderson. On behalf of Jiaying and everyone here, I'd like to welcome you back to Afterlife."

"Wait," Zelda asked, "So I'm back in Afterlife now?!"

She paused and remembered it was Gordon who took her. It had been a while since she came here that she almost forgot about him.

"Anyways," Rose continued, "Jiaying wishes to speak to you now, so if you could follow me…"

Zelda obliged. She knew that Jiaying would have to have a good reason for bringing her here. It was more than likely that Jiaying wished to help Katie get a better grip on her powers, which put Zelda's mind at ease a little since she could hopefully talk Jiaying into letting her stay in the outskirts of Afterlife and then maybe Katie would visit her after embracing her powers. As the two walked past the little village and the buildings of Afterlife, Zelda noticed quite a few people staring at her. She didn't mind. Back when she first visited she was just as scared as they were, but now she had more confidence so she just kept walking. Eventually, they entered a building and walked into an office. There, sitting at a desk was Jiaying herself, still carrying the literal scars of her past. Looking up, she looked at Rose and nodded.

"Thank you, Rose." She acknowledged, "I'll take it from here. You can leave now."

"Thank you." Rose said with a courtesy bow before leaving.

After closing the doors, Zelda took a deep breath and then spoke.

"It's good to see you again, Jiaying." She answered, "I'm sure that if you wanted me here, it was for something I did."

"It is." Jiaying said, getting up, "I know about Katie."

"You do?" Zelda asked.

"Yes, that she's an Inhuman." Jiaying noted, "Although I must ask how you managed to do it. After all this time…"

"Look…" Zelda pointed out, "I'm not ashamed to admit it, but if you have learned about what I've done since me and Cal split up after saving you, then you know it took a long time and I had to do certain things I'd rather not talk about. Suffice it to say that a miracle happened, and Katie is a perfect Inhuman."

"So there's no strings attatched?" Jiaying asked, curiously.

"None." Zelda swore, "On my mother's life."

Jiaying looked at her and nodded.

"Well, this is an age where anything can happen." She pointed out.

"Too true." Zelda agreed.

"Since you brought up what you did since we last spoke face-to-face," Jiaying noted, "I admit I am a bit…troubled by some of the actions you took…but you are still my friend, Zelda. So I'm going to help Katie learn to control her power."

Zelda's mood shoot upwards as she went to hug her friend, but Jiaying politely declined.

"However," She pointed out, "Since some people here have heard about what you did, and before you ask, you weren't subtle about the bodies you left over the years; I think it'd be best if you stayed on one of the buildings on the outskirts of afterlife. I only ask of this as a friend who doesn't want you to feel like an enemy among my people. Even I can't just tell them to treat you with respect these days. Cal's already agreed to do the same since Daisy will be joining my people soon, and I don't want you to feel like a monster when people look at you."

Zelda nodded, understandingly.

"Okay." She agreed, "But…can Katie still visit?"

Jiaying thought about it for a minute before answering.

"Let's focus on helping her control her powers first." Jiaying suggested, "And if she's willing later, she can talk to you."

"Good." Zelda nodded happily, before rubbing the back of her head embarrassingly, "I uh…I don't suppose that you have any spare clothes. No offense, but I wasn't exactly expecting a trip to Afterlife, so…"

"I have Gordon taking care of it already." Jiaying assured, "You will find your personal belongings in your room when it is all set."

Zelda smiled.

"Thanks." She told her, "I really mean that."

"You helped my husband rescue and save me." Jiaying assured with a soft smile, "Even though you lost yourself, I'm sure you'll rediscover what you used to be in Afterlife."

"I look forward to it then." Zelda told her.

…

 _ **Meanwhile…**_

Jason awoke with a groan. He tried getting up, only to be pulled back down. Looking behind him, Jason found that his arms were cuffed and wrapped around a sink pipe. Furthermore, he noticed he wasn't alone as Hunter was directly behind him on the other side of this sink. Hunter looked back and nodded nonchalantly.

"Oh, good. You're awake." Hunter said sarcastically.

"Where the hell are we?!" Jason asked.

"Beats the hell outta me." Hunter admitted, "I was asking Mack about something fishy that was going on between him and my ex-wife. Then he got the jump on me, knocked me out and I woke up here."

"Same happened to me." Jason noted, "I found some kind of transmitter in the floor and then Mack knocked me out as well. How long have I been here?"

"For about three hours, give or take." Hunter answered.

"So what now?" Jason questioned.

Before Lance could reply, the door to their room opened up and Mack entered.

"Our ride's here." Mack told them, "Let's go."

With that, he threw two sacks over their heads and led them out of the door. Jason didn't know how much time had passed before the bag was removed and he found himself in some kind of hallway with agents dressed in high-military gear behind him and Hunter. Mack approached them from the front.

"Lance was right about something he told me earlier." Mack explained, "For a while, things went to hell. It was bad. But now Bobbi and I are working for an organization. An outliner. Something that came out of the wreckage from what Fury left behind."

"What the hell are you talking about?!" Jason asked struggling with his restraints before the soldiers behind him held him back, "Stop speaking in riddles and just tell us who the hell you're working for!"

"S.H.I.E.L.D." Mack explained, "The real S.H.I.E.L.D."

With that, Mack stepped aside to reveal that the end of the hallway branched off in two different directions. However, what Lance and Jason were focused on more was the symbol that stood in the center of the intersection. The symbol was the S.H.I.E.L.D. Logo, but this version looked a bit sleeker almost resembling the one from the SRR Days, with three stars in the center. Mack turned to the guards.

"Take Hunter where he needs to go." He declared, "You know what to do with Jason."

With that, Jason was lead down the hallway, to the left. He tried struggling, but it was hopeless. Eventually, he came to a door where one of the soldiers opened it and he was shoved inside. The room was a simple interrogation room, containing only a metal desk and two metal chairs. Jason was shoved down into one of said chairs as he heard footsteps walking outside towards the door. Then the door opened and Jason's heart almost leapt out of his chest when he saw who the person was.

"You!" He breathed, "It…it can't be you!"

The man in question was around 24, with short blond hair, a blond goatee, and icy blue eyes that were the same color as Jason's. His nose also seemed a bit crooked as if he had just come out of either a bar fight, or military training before getting here. He also wore a well-tailored suit, which was unlike the man who Jason knew better than anyone.

Because this man was actually his brother, whom Jason thought had died the day S.H.I.E.L.D. fell.

"Hello, Jason." Thomas Steele smiled solemnly, "We need to talk."

….

 **So there you go, everyone! Hope this was satisfying enough for all of you. Next chapter will see a lot more of Thomas and Jason's reuniting, as well as Katie's attempt at isolating herself from the rest of the world. I apologize again for the long waits, but things are tight with me right now, though I'll try as always to attempt to get these stories out as soon as I can. Anyways, thanks for your continued support and I hope you'll join me next time. As always, I own NOTHING but my OC's. This is for FAN-purposes ONLY so please don't sue! Thanks.**


	10. Change of Plans

**Hi, everyone! So, yeah. I've been gone a while and I apologize. I got my driver's license, and there was some other things that needed to attend to, but I met my goal of getting the chapter out on Thanksgiving while putting in as much as I could to make up for lost time. So here's the latest chapter! I also have to note today I can also be thankful for Stormrunner74 pointing out a continuity error I made since it's been a while since the last update. Today, I am thankful to many family and friends I have who help me out in times like these and point out errors so I can go back and fix them in a calm and collective manner. Thanks, buddy. You really saved my bacon there and I owe you one for it. Anyways, on with the rest of the stuff. October 21** **st** **, 2015 has come and gone, and while we didn't get flying cars or commercially-available hover boards, I still had a tremendous Back to the Future Day, a great Halloween where I dressed up as Chris Pratt's Owen from Jurassic World, and plenty of great AoS Episodes that'll be the basis for the Spec-Ops Team 3. Whoops! "Spoilers." Anyways, enough of that for now before I accidently reveal what's going to happen. This time, we're doing another episode mix to see what happened to Jason's brother, and what happens to Katie now that she's decided to lock herself away from anyone else. I hope you all enjoy! As always, I own NOTHING. This is for FAN-Purposes only, so PLEASE don't sue!**

 _ **The Real S.H.I.E.L.D. HQ…**_

Jason couldn't believe the sight of his brother standing alive and well before him. He felt angry, sad, relieved, happy, and upset all at once.

"Now, I know this is going to come as a big shock," Thomas assured, "But I have a good reason for why I'm alive."

"I hope you do." Jason said, "Where the hell were you, Thomas?!"

"Doing what everyone else here was doing and what you should be doing as well." Thomas explained, "Saving the world. This operation is being led independently from that fake S.H.I.E.L.D. you're running around with. This is a S.H.I.E.L.D. who operates on a democratic and equal vote. I'm one of the heads myself and I can explain how it happened seeing as how it's also how I survived."

"Then tell me." Jason replied.

"It started on the day S.H.I.E.L.D. Fell." Thomas explained as they both took a seat.

….

 _ **Then…**_

Thomas Steele awoke with a raging headache. There had been an explosion and now alarms were blaring everywhere. Getting back on his feet, Thomas accessed the nearest terminal for information and instantly a voice was heard from the computer.

"Attention S.H.I.E.L.D. Agents; this is Captain America." The voice spoke as if there was a heavy burden on his back, "You've heard a lot about me in the past few days. Some of you were even ordered to hunt me down. But I think it's time to tell the truth. S.H.I.E.L.D. is not what we thought it was. It's been taken over by HYDRA. Alexander Pierce is their leader. The S.T.R.I.K.E. and Insight crew are HYDRA as well. I don't know how many more but I do know they're in the building. They could be standing right next to you. They almost have what they want. Absolute control. They shot Nick Fury. And it won't end there. If you launch those helicarriers today, HYDRA will be able to kill anyone that stands in their way. Unless we stop them. I know I'm asking a lot. But the price of freedom is high. It always has been. And it's a price I'm willing to pay. And if I'm the only one, so be it. But I'm willing to bet that I'm not."

With that, the voice transmission from HQ ended, as Thomas felt numb. HYDRA was S.H.I.E.L.D. the whole time?! How long had this been going on and what was happening to the rest of his friends and family that were in the organization?

As he pondered these questions, he suddenly heard a large metal banging from the other side of the hallway he was in. Turning around, the metal bang was heard again before the doors busted open and a torrent of water began filling the hallway.

Crap. Thomas swore.

….

 _ **The Playground, Today…**_

There was no one in the halls when Katie left. The building might as well have been abandoned. Arthur told Katie she would be flying a remote-controlled plane to a remote cabin that actually belonged to Clint Barton AKA Hawkeye at one point in the famous S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent/Avenger/Marksman's life. He had owned it as a retreat for a while until he decided to sell it for some reason and so S.H.I.E.L.D. had remade it for those with abilities who needed time off. Mike Peterson even went here for a vacation at one point before his grisly transformation.

But now, Katie was sure she would spend the rest of her days there as a hermit before she grew old and died alone. It was fitting to her as that was how she was born and that would be how her life ended.

As she approached the hangar, she saw the plane with the open cargo hold and got inside there. As she sat down, she buckled her restraints and kept her emotions at bay. The hatch then closed and then the plane took off on its own. Katie had specifically requested that no one else should have to sacrifice themselves for her, even to take her away. Fortunately, it seemed that Fitz had a pet project that he had been working on, which turned out to be a remote-controlled ship or autopilot or something. It was impressive that he and some of the other workers at S.H.I.E.L.D. managed to cobble it together, but her mind was focused on keeping herself separate from the rest of the world now. She would not allow anyone else to be hurt because of her. She closed her eyes and kept her mind and emotions null as the plane took off to her destination.

…

 _ **Meanwhile, in the Playground Base…**_

Once Katie's ship was out of view, Arthur stepped out from his hiding place, as Jessica and Bobbi entered the hangar.

"You're not going to leave her all alone, are you?" Bobbi asked Arthur.

"Damn right I'm not." Arthur said, "I'm going to look after her no matter what, but I'll be doing it out of sight across from Barton's old retreat getaway. So both of you know where I am if you need me."

"Arthur, you can't just leave now!" Jessica warned, "You have to think about the duties here."

"I am." Arthur insisted, "I'll work while I'm there and multitask. In the meantime, Jess, I'm leaving you in my position until I return."

Jessica was utterly shocked by this. She appreciated how Arthur had gone from hating Katie and wanting nothing to do with her, to someone who would gladly take a bullet or two for her because he genuinely was always worried about her now these days. But ever since Katie started growing more and more uncomfortable with being around others due to her powers, Arthur had become more and more focused on her rather than the rest of his team.

"Arthur…" Jessica insisted, "I know you care for Katie. I do. But it might just be that Katie doesn't want anybody anymore."

Arthur sighed.

"That's not true." He told her, "I listened outside her bedroom every night after her last incident and she was crying herself to sleep not because she's afraid, but because she wants to help. She did so much for me that I can't leave her like this imminently and dump her out in the woods without anyone to watch over her."

Before Jessica could say anything, Arthur left to collect his things. Bobbi raised an eyebrow at her.

"He really does care for her, doesn't he?" She asked.

"I'm worried that now he might care for her more than he should." Jessica noted before walking off.

….

 _ **Then…**_

Thomas had to think quickly. The room was slowly filling up with water, but if he didn't do something quick, the room would be completely submerged in water and he'd be dead for sure. Looking at the opposite door from where the water was flooding, he quickly tried a manual opening, but found the controls were busted. Slamming his fist against the control panel, he looked down to find the water was already getting up to his knees.

Thomas grabbed the power unit under the control panel and quickly opened it revealing the wired underneath. Taking out a hunting knife, he quickly cut the wires and began re-wiring them. The water was already at his hips when the saw the spark. Thankfully, the door opened and Thomas left the room. Turning around, he accessed the other control panel which thankfully had fully-functioning controls which he used to close the door behind him. Thomas knew that anyone else behind was surely drowned by now, though he hoped a few of those HYDRA bastards were amongst those who had drowned back there.

As he regained his composure, he suddenly heard a special message from his phone which was an emergency line for the agents of this carrier only. Looking at the phone, he saw it was a message from Agent Morse.

As he activated it, he heard Bobbi's voice calling out amidst static and what sounded like hell from the other side.

"Attention, any available agents!" Bobbi called out, "This is Agent Morse! We are attempting to take back the carrier ourselves and re-establish S.H.I.E.L.D. unfortunately, some HYDRA thugs just kidnapped a group of trainees and are holding them hostage at what is sure to be a firing squad massacre. Any available agents try to get down to the cargo hold and stop them by any means necessary!"

Fortunately, Thomas knew this carrier like the back of his hand and was aware that he was only a short jog away from an entrance to the upper walkway of the cargo hold. Sighing, he knew he could take look into the whereabouts of his girlfriend and brother later. Right now, all that mattered was making sure no one else died today. Even though he was deeply concerned for his family, Thomas was the kind of man who would help others always before attending to his own needs.

…

 _ **The Present…**_

As the vehicle finally touched down, Katie unbuckled her restraints and exited from the ramp to find herself in front of a cozy-looking home. It was small, but there seemed to be some kind of antenna onto indicating she would have at least some satellite service. Taking her bag, she went inside the house to find herself at the bottom of some stairs leading up while the main foyer only had a mirror and table to put her things down on if need be. Walking into the adjacent room, she found a couch with a TV that looked like it might've been purchased around 2006/2007. In the room following she found a kitchen with a fridge (which contained enough food to last her an entire year when she looked inside) and a sink with a trash bin right next to it. Above the sink was a cupboard with all kinds of glasses and plates.

At this point, Katie was doing anything to keep her mind occupied and try not to let it wander into the territory she dared not let it go into.

Deciding she had seen enough of downstairs, she went up the stairs to find two doors. On the door to the right, she found a nice bathroom with a bathtub/shower and all the cleaning materials she would need in the sink underneath. Satisfied, she went into the final room and found there was a queen sized bed along with a couple of drawers and a nightstand to the left of the bed which had a lamp situated on top of there. Katie was surprised by the size of the bed since it was safe to presume that Barton wouldn't pay so much for a bed like that just to have to himself. Katie had never heard that much about Agent Barton besides the fact that he was obviously one of the most-skilled-archers on the planet, and the fact that he was an Avenger, but even she knew the bed was built for two rather than one. She only assumed now that Barton had a wife, but that was easier for him because he didn't have to deal with…

No. She wouldn't think of it that way. Not like that.

She instead started unpacking and folding her clothes away and then bringing out a laptop she had packed with her to keep her mind occupied elsewhere. Pulling up a video she had downloaded for free using S.H.I.E.L.D.'s encrypted software, she put two earbuds into the laptop and began listening to the soft relaxing music.

…

 _ **The Past…**_

Thomas crept up on the upper walkway looking down to see that indeed, a couple of agents were being held hostage. There were fifteen HYDRA Agents, five with a gun for each hostage. However, he also noticed some other higher-ranking agents being held as well. One of them was a girl around 5'8 with light brown eyes and dirty blonde hair with purple highlights. Agent Kiera Smith. She was a field agent onboard this carrier, but Thomas also remembered that she was also prone to panic attacks and realized that if he didn't do something now, she would most likely panic and be the first one to die. Looking around at the other cars left up there, he began quickly formulating an idea, but he would have to plan it just right and have accurate timing or else he risked letting one of the agents bellow die.

So Thomas quietly crept over to a nearby car and opened the door. Crawling inside, he quickly got to work on hot wiring the car until he was certain that it was working. When he was finished, he crept back over to where he had been viewing the HYDRA Agents from and noticed one of them had taken Kiera and was shocking her with her own personal baton weapons. Apparently, Kiera looked up to Agent Morse, and made her own electric batons as a tribute to her idol. Unfortunately, the HYDRA Agents bellow were shocking her right in the neck, causing her to groan in pain.

Frowning, Thomas reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. He waited until he had the perfect shot and prayed this would work. Closing his eyes, he threw the phone and then looked to see that he had successfully knocked it into the guy's head.

"What the-?!" The guy asked, tossing the batons to another agent as the others readied their guns. Thomas then crept back into the car and activated the phone message from his car to call the phone, keeping the door open as he did so. Sure enough, the HYDRA goons caught on and moved towards the area where they had a clear view of the upper walkway.

Unfortunately, they would never get a chance to use them for as soon as they were in position, Thomas drove the car off the upper walkway, taking the HYDRA Agents by surprise. Before they could react, the car landed on the gunmen, killing them. With only ten left, five more of them reached for their guns but Thomas activated the car's automatic gun system, riddling them with bullets. With the HYDRA Agents remaining, Kiera elbowed the guy who was restraining her in the groin and then elbowed him in the jaw before a spinning kick sent him to the ground. Thomas took on the last three guys as Kiera retrieved her batons from her downed opponent to take on the last guy currently standing.

As Thomas went for the other two guys, they lunged forward to which he ducked and then imminently went to work on dismantling the other guy. Seeing as how there was a metal shelf nearby, Thomas imminently caught the guy's right hook before shoving it behind his neck and then slammed his right arm into the guy's larynx, damaging it. Then Thomas pushed the guy into the shelves, so that with the force at which the HYDRA Agent was pushed at, the impact on his back neck instantly resulted in a sudden death for the HYDRA Agent.

Looking back, Thomas noticed the guy on the right had recovered first and was throwing a hard left kick. Thomas took the kick, but then grabbed it and then flipped the guy on his back before he twisted the leg back, breaking it. Finally, he took notice of the final guy approaching while throwing a right punch towards him. Thomas got the punch and then twisted it behind the guy's back as well, taking him down for the count.

Kiera, meanwhile was busy delivering a series of blows to the other guy she was fighting while occasionally jabbing him with the electrical end of her batons until she saw the guy was too weak to fight and ended with a hard kick planted firmly in the guy's nose, knocking him out.

Taking a second to breathe, the two nodded at each other and got to work on restraining the HYDRA Agents still alive.

"Nice of you to join us, Agent Steele." Kiera noted.

"Good to be alive." He added, "How are you feeling?"

"Like I want to punch any and every goddamn HYDRA Agent." She replied.

….

 _ **The Present, the Current Residence of Katie Sheila…**_

As Katie listened to the music, she felt calm, relaxed, and without any kind of mood or attitudes right now. Unbeknownst to her, her body had suddenly taken a rainbow-like effect. It wasn't as bright as the other various transformations in her body were, but it was visible in a transparent sense. However, Katie was not aware of it as her only focus was on remaining calm.

Suddenly, a loud screeching noise broke her concentration as she screamed in pain. It was like someone had put a chalkboard right next to her eardrum and was scratching it with precision to make her ears bleed to death. As she took out her headphones, she was surprised to see the screen had turned to static but there was an Instant Message Chat pulled up despite Katie not having done so after she turned on her laptop.

Curious, she read the message.

'Hello. Is this Katie?'

Katie was nervous as she typed away to respond. Her fingers shaking with fear as she did so.

'Who is this? How did you get access to reach me?'

She waited before a response came up.

'It's not important, Katie. What's important is that we talk. I understand you've been going through some tough times, and there are people who I'm with who want to help.'

Katie typed her reply, defiantly.

'I can't get help. My power is a curse. I constantly hurt people I care about, or kill people when I don't mean to kill them. No psychological or physical training can help me, so please just leave me alone.'

A few minutes passed before the response came in.

'Katie. I think you don't understand what's happening. I have a gift too, but even though it's restrained me in ways you can't understand, I've embraced my gift and I still have a good life more-or-less. It's how I've been able to contact you. There's a group of people like you who can help if you're willing. If you want to join, just call out for Gordon. He'll know where you are and bring you to us for help. If not, I understand. But I do hope that you'll join us. I do know for a fact that you're being monitored at this very moment without you even realizing it. You'll be much safer with us and you won't have to worry about hurting anybody again. You seem like a very nice person, so I hope you'll join us.'

With that, the chat ended as Katie sat there confused and scared. She now had a way to control her powers but was that really what she wanted? Could she control it if need be?

Suddenly, a shock washed over her body. The person had mentioned she was being watched. Looking around, she quickly locked all the doors and windows before grabbing a kitchen knife. As she backed up, her body began glowing green again and the various constructs began appearing making Katie's heart beat even faster.

…

 _ **Afterlife…**_

As Aliselyn finished sending the message, she flicked her eye at Jiaying who was standing next to Patrick as Gordon suddenly teleported to Jiaying's right side.

"Good news." Her computer's voice said, "It seems that Katie is ready to be taken in. There's some bad news, though. It looks as though that Arthur William's character is monitoring her remotely without her knowing."

Jiaying thought for a minute.

"I actually think I know a way we can take her without Arthur knowing." She said, turning to Gordon, "Is Skye willing to be taken in?"

"I think it's safe to say she'll learn the true secrets being kept from her soon enough." Gordon replied, "We just have to wait for her to ask."

"Then when you go to retrieve Katie, I want you to take Michael and Adira with you. I don't want him interfering with our plans, but we also have to show Katie we're not completely cruel. I only want Arthur Williams locked in his worst nightmare, no memory deletion except for where Katie goes otherwise. If he's as dangerous as Zelda claims he is, then that'll be where he spends the rest of his life."

….

 _ **Then…**_

Eventually, Bobbi did arrive with backup as they were all given treatment for their wounds. Thomas was highly praised by Bobbi, but all he wanted to know was what the hell happened to his brother and girlfriend. About a half-hour ago, Bobbi left to check and Thomas was getting worried that maybe HYDRA left one last surprise. He even went as far as to ask six more times to other senior agents who had joined them if there was any word about Lauren or Jason. Each of them said they knew nothing and assured him that Bobbi would get an answer soon. However, this was the point where Thomas felt like he could wait no mare and decided he would get the answers himself. However, before he could get up to see for himself, Bobbi returned and approached him. As she got closer, he could tell Bobbi approaching and looking not to happy.

"Well?" He asked, with a demand, "What's the word?! What the hell's happened?!"

Bobbi looked at him with eyes full of sadness. Thomas didn't like where this was heading.

"I'm sorry, Thomas." Bobbi apologized, "Word is that Lauren was taken out as soon as Cap revealed HYDRA's infiltration. She was apparently overseeing some new recruits training and a HYDRA Agent tried to shoot one. She took the bullet in the back of the head and was announced dead as soon as Project: Insight went down."

Thomas felt his heart break. Even though Lauren had gone out as a hero, he felt that part of his world had died and that only more bad news was on the way.

"And...and Jason?" He asked, "What happened to my brother?"

Bobbi sighed.

"We honestly don't know." She told him truthfully, "Word is he was on a S.H.I.E.L.D. Plane which went down and exploded. Nobody knows if he got out or just burned up in there."

Thomas now felt anguish and depression. There was only the tiniest chance that Jason had survived, and they couldn't even rely on the source.

"Thomas, I am truly sorry for what happened to you." Bobbi assured, "But Gonzales wants to see you."

Eventually, Thomas found himself standing before Gonzales who had made a makeshift cast for his arm. Despite the pain and seriousness of the situation, he still managed to smile at the agent.

"Thomas Steele." He said.

"Sir." Thomas said.

"Agent Morse told me about what happened with your brother. I'm sorry you had to go through loosing another family member to such a tragic event."

"Thank you, sir." Thomas acknowledged, "I appreciate that. I plan to imminently start searching for my brother as soon as possible."

"Admirable." Gonzales nodded, "Leave no one left behind even if it appears they're dead. I appreciate that Mr. Steele, but I wanted to make you an offer before you left. The remaining group has decided that with no word from Fury or anyone else, we are taking it upon ourselves to build a new S.H.I.E.L.D. One where all decisions will be made with a vote by all agents. You showed true bravery today by rescuing those agents, son. As such, I would personally like to offer you a place in this new S.H.I.E.L.D. as my team's official pilot as well as having a seat here on the board."

Thomas thought for a minute. He knew he should get to searching, but he was out in the middle of the ocean with no technology and no contacts to help him find his brother. Besides, he realized that he could still do a lot here to honor Lauren and search for his brother when he could.

Looking at Gonzales, he nodded.

"Thank you, sir." He said, "I'll accept but only on one condition."

Gonzales waited so Thomas got on with it.

"If in the event we find out my brother is alive." He stated, "I would like to give him the chance to join us. Regardless of whether he was HYDRA, or is now out there on his own. I believe I can make him join us."

Gonzales gave him a stern look.

"That's a big promise." Gonzales noted, "Are you sure you can keep it?"

"Positive." He assured, "I just ask that you give me one chance to talk to him if we find him. After that, if he won't join I'll do anything you ask."

Gonzales nodded.

"It's a deal then." He said, "Welcome to the real S.H.I.E.L.D., Agent Steele."

…

 _ **Now, Gonzales's S.H.I.E.L.D. HQ…**_

"And that's what lead us to where we are today." Thomas finished, "I never gave up looking for you, Jason. I always had faith you were alive and I'm glad to see it paid off. Now, I'm willing to give you the same opportunity Gonzales gave me; a chance to serve a S.H.I.E.L.D. built on fair vote and democracy rather than by a man and his few trusted allies."

Before Jason could respond, the door opened and Kiera popped her head in.

"Sir?" She asked, "I thought you should know we're already underway with the Playground base takeover."

Jason looked amazed as Thomas looked back at Kiera.

"Could you give us a minute or two?" He asked.

Kiera nodded and closed the door.

"What the hell, Thomas?!" Jason asked, "Democratic vote?!"

"It was already discussed before you were brought in. Phil Coulson and his 'good eye' Arthur Williams have been voted as being unfit to continue their S.H.I.E.L.D. by vote of me and everyone else here. That's actually why I'm glad we caught you before the invasion."

"And what happens to everyone else in there?!" Jason asked, "They're all going to magically 'disappear?!'"

"Not everyone." Thomas noted, "Just Agents Skye and Sheila. Everyone else will be given a chance to either join, or turn themselves in for questioning until we send them back out into the world to allow us to take over S.H.I.E.L.D. Again."

"Skye I can understand, but Katie?!" Jason asked, "What the hell makes her so dangerous?!"

"Her powers have caused a death of someone, and from what we've gathered she's very unstable at this moment. In the long-term, she could prove to be a great threat just like Skye, so we have to act now rather than later."

Jason backed away, looking at his brother amazed. This wasn't the man he hoped to find who always knew when to do the right thing and how. This was someone attacking a grieving young woman with psychological trauma without any empathy whatsoever. Jason wasn't close to Katie like Arthur was, but even he knew that this was not what she deserved.

"I can't believe what I'm hearing." Jason said, "You've changed completely. Do you think that Lauren would've wanted this?!"

"Jason, Lauren's gone and there's nothing anyone can do to bring her back. She would've wanted us to move on without her and not let her memory weigh either of us down. I only tried to adapt with what was happening." Thomas said, "It's what you would've done in my situation. Now I need an answer to whether or not you're willing to help."

Jason looked at his brother disgusted. This was not what he was hoping to find when he found out his brother was alive. It wasn't meant to be this way at all. The moment he was finally given a chance to be with him again, his brother was saying they had orders to take out a young girl with something she didn't understand and was terrified of.

Clenching his fists, Jason looked at his brother with eyes full of regret.

"I'm sorry, Thomas." Jason apologized, "But I can't let you do this. I promise that I am going to do everything in my power to stop you before people really get hurt."

Thomas looked at the ground but nodded.

"Hey." He smiled, softly, "It's alright. Just give your brother a hug."

Jason went over but before they could embrace, he grabbed Thomas's right arm, and spun it into Thomas's neck. As he did something slid out piercing his brother's neck, knocking him out.

"Sorry, Thomas." Jason apologized, "But you should've known I wouldn't fall for that one."

With that, he exited the room and began running as fast as he could. Eventually, he found his way to some stairs and went up only to discover to his horror that he was out in the middle of the ocean with only a couple of Quinjets. Groaning, he instantly got in one of them and began to take off. His first instinct was to go to the Playground base and help if he could, but then he remembered that the invasion was already underway. There was the possibility of going to help Katie, but he didn't know where she was at the moment.

As Jason pondered his next move, he failed to realize the carrier was suddenly aiming anti-aircraft guns at his Quinjet. Jason suddenly noticed this and began to fly out until they fired missiles at him. He did a barrel roll, hoping that the missiles would collide into each other, but to his dismay, these missiles didn't seem to fall for that old trick. Quickly bringing up his Navigation Computer, he could see that he wasn't that far away from Virginia Beach. However, the missiles were gaining on him and he doubted that he could stay off them for long.

Sighing to himself, he realized that he would have to eject and rely on the tide if he could to bring him in. Quickly moving, he ejected himself from the seat, and fell into the water bellow as the Quinjet exploded above him.

…

 _ **The Playground…**_

"THIS ISN'T WHAT I HAD IN MIND TODAY WHEN ARTHUR LEFT ME IN CHARGE!" Jessica screamed as she slammed the keyboard frustrated.

The Playground was currently being invaded by another group of agents not HYDRA. Apparently, Bobbi Morse was in on this and had tricked Melinda May into thinking that she was going to escape when really all she did was use a sleeping gas to knock the other agents out. Fortunately, Jessica, Faye, and Desmond were all in Arthur's office when the attack happened, but were now in lockdown with Jessica unable to radio either Katie or Arthur. Apparently whoever was behind the attack had managed to re-encrypt the software for communicating with Arthur and Katie. Fortunately, Arthur had left her entrusted with a special aid in case of an emergency; Franco Adessi.

The thing that was frustrating Jessica was the fact that Arthur had a password for accessing any contact information to Franco, and from the way things were sounding outside, it didn't seem as though their team was winning meaning it wouldn't be long before whoever was attacking came for them.

So while Jessica tried in vain to get the password, Desmond and Faye were rummaging through some of the things Arthur had, but all they found were some shirts, and a couple of sidearm guns.

"I don't get it!" Jessica declared, "I've tried 'Katie,' 'Blair,' 'S.H.I.E.L.D,' 'Captain America,' 'James Bond,' 'Indiana Jones,' and just about anything else that meant something to Arthur. I've even gone as far as to try 'Igraine' and nothing works!"

The three then heard a banging noise outside as they saw some agents outside with a battering ram.

"Isn't that a bit excessive?" Desmond asked.

"The walls are reinforced so it doesn't break easily like normal gas would." Faye told him, "But I don't think that this will hold for long!"

"Then there's only one thing to do!" Desmond replied, wrapping a shirt around his face mouth and nose while tossing another to Faye to do the same.

"What are you two doing?!" Jessica demanded.

"Buying you some time." Desmond said simply as he and Faye loaded up.

"We don't know what these people want!" Jessica noted.

"Then let's hope you get the security password soon!" Faye replied, "Otherwise we're done for!"

Desmond briefly took the shirt down and kissed Jessica passionately before pulling the shirt back up over his mouth. He didn't care if Faye was watching surprised, he wanted to give Jessica the confidence she needed to get through to whatever help Arthur had waiting for them.

"You can do it, Jessica." He assured, "I have faith in you."

With that, Faye grabbed a flash bang grenade from her belt side and slightly opened the door before rolling it out resulting in a giant flash going off. With that, she and Desmond left the room as Jessica felt like she was going mad. Why couldn't Arthur have just left them the password simply?! He trusted them like family, unlike when they first met, so…

 _Waitasec…_ Jessica realized, _It can't really be…_

Seeing as how her options were limited, Jessica typed in the word 'Family.'

Instantly, the password was accepted, and she found the contact information to Franco Adessi. Calling him up via the phone, Jessica's heart beat faster with each ring until someone on the other line picked up on the fourth call.

"Hello?" A voice asked.

"Franco Adessi?" Jessica questioned, "You don't know me, but my name's Jessica Smith. I'm working for S.H.I.E.L.D. under orders of Arthur Williams. What's your status?"

"I'm at Virginia Beach." Franco asked, "Why are you…"

"Listen!" She explained, quickly as possible while sending him as much information as she could, "We're under attack by an unknown force, and we need you to retrieve one of our Agents, Katie Sheila, and warn Arthur Williams as quick as you can. Katie's not that far away from you. She's staying at a remote home in Morrisville, Tennessee, only about a day's drive from where you are. Seeing as how you have a private line, I assume you can reach him as well on a line not connected to our base?"

"Yeah."

"Then I need you to get in contact with Arthur as soon as possible and warn him that whoever's taking over might be coming for Katie." Jessica explained, "Please. Can you do that?"

….

 _ **Virginia Beach…**_

"Yeah. I will." Franco nodded, as he found the information on his phone.

"Thank you." Jessica's voice replied, before hanging up abruptly. Franco could've sworn he heard something breaking as it happened, but he knew that meant he had to act now.

With that, Franco was ready to leave in his own personal car which Arthur himself had provided when he realized something. Not that far away, there was a beach wedding taking place. However, what he was focused on was someone actually emerging from the water. The figure was pretty muscular with short black hair, icy blue eyes, and wearing a black T-Shirt and pants which were all soaking wet. The weddinggoers noticed this as he calmly walked up to the priest as if nothing was out of the ordinary here. Franco looked amazed as he realized who it was.

"Which way to the nearest bus station?" Jason asked.

The priest pointed to the road which Franco was parked on and explained to just keep taking it down until he reached his point of interest.

"Thank you." Jason nodded, "Much appreciated."

Franco knew he should get going, but he couldn't leave Jason here. After all, he might know something he didn't. So as soon as Jason was close enough, he called out to him.

"Hey, pal!" Franco called, "Need a lift?"

Jason looked at him amazed.

"You!" He declared, putting his gun at him inside the car, "Who are you really?!"

"Woah!" Franco said, hands raised, "I'm with S.H.I.E.L.D.! You know that!"

"Which one?! Arthur's or the other one?!"

"You know about that?!" Franco asked, "Look, I just got this from a Jessica Smith and was about to contact Arthur if you want to help!"

Jason looked him over and got in cautiously but quickly.

"Call him up." He said.

Franco nodded and called Arthur on the private line. After three times ringing, the person at the other end answered.

"Franco?" Arthur's voice asked, "What is it?"

"ARTHUR!" Jason yelled, "ARTHUR IT'S JASON!"

"Jason?!" Arthur declared, "What the hell are you doing with Franco?!"

"Arthur, wherever you are, you need to get Katie to safety!" Jason declared, "There's another S.H.I.E.L.D. that's gunning for her and I don't think they care if you get caught in the crossfire either!"

"Are you serious?!" Arthur asked.

"Positive." Jason replied, "It's why I've been missing recently."

"Okay." Arthur said, "I'm going to try and contact Director Coulson from where I am and then get Katie out of here. Rendezvous with me as soon as I give the word and if you don't hear from me, Director Coulson will contact you with further orders. Look, I know you two have had your little run-in before, but I hope we can get past that and work together now. Can I trust you?"

The two looked at each other and nodded.

"Yeah." Franco answered, "We'll work together."

"Alright." Arthur replied, "Then stick to my orders and we'll hopefully meet up again soon. Good luck, and stay under the radar as best you can."

"Right." The two declared, before the connection was lost.

…

 _ **Meanwhile…**_

Arthur imminently went to contact Director Coulson on a secret line. It was clear he couldn't rely on the regular ones, so he had to resort to old-school contact tactics to stay under the radar since if some other S.H.I.E.L.D. had indeed taken over the Playground, that meant that they could monitor any normal communications logs.

After accessing the secret line to Director Coulson, Arthur was relieved to find that his boss picked up on the second ring.

"Director." Arthur said, "We have a problem."

"I know." Phil replied, "I'm with Lance Hunter right now, trying to figure out our next move. Where are you?"

"Watching over Katie." Arthur explained, "I've been shadowing her since she got here, and I think considering what's happened and an apparent rumor that whoever's behind this attack wants Katie dead, I'm going to pull her out now and try to move her someplace safe until I can meet up with Jason Steele and Franco Adessi."

"I agree." Phil noted, "Do that and await further instructions."

"Thank you, sir. I'll report as soon as I have her."

Arthur then shut off the communications device and then left the plane. He figured Katie would probably be scared and he would come to save her as she had done for him so many times.

….

 _ **Inside the house…**_

Unfortunately for Arthur, he was dead wrong. Katie had considered the stranger's advice and had kept watch over the house for hours. Sure enough, she saw Arthur exiting from the camouflaged ship and decided that would be it. This person clearly knew more than she did and if there really was a way to control her powers and no way to get rid of them, Katie would rather live a life in secret rather than in fear of hurting things again.

As she packed some things, she heard the front door open and Arthur enter.

"KATIE!" She heard him scream, "KATIE WHERE ARE YOU?!"

Sighing, she grabbed her laptop and descended to meet him at the bottom. Arthur looked relieved to see her but she didn't look that thrilled.

"Katie, thank god!" He declared, "Listen; the Playground's been overrun and it's not safe here anymore. We have to move you to a better location!"

"What's the point, Arthur?" Katie sighed, "Anywhere I go I bring death and misery. Everything I love dies. My sister, my friends…I'm sorry, Arthur, but I'm not going."

Arthur looked at Katie amazed as if he didn't recognize her.

"Katie, what are you saying?!" He demanded, "We need to go now!"

"No, Arthur." Katie said, defiantly, "I'm not going with you. I'm not going to let you die trying to help me!"

"Katie, any second these guys are going to be over us…"

Suddenly, there was a large flash of light that illuminated the entire area, causing the two to shield their eyes. Soon afterwards, the doors were busted down and a bunch of agents wearing Riot-Styled Military Gear flooded the areas.

"GET DOWN ON THE GROUND NOW!" One of them yelled.

Just then, another figure stepped in as Arthur and Katie looked amazed.

"B…Blair?!" Arthur asked.

"Arthur." Blair said with a hint of regret in her tone, "I need you to stand down."

"Blair what are you doing?!"

"What I said I would do when you saved me in Florida." Blair explained, "Living my own life away from S.H.I.E.L.D. The one you're a part of. I'm working for a S.H.I.E.L.D. that's more democratic and it's been democratically decided that Katie cannot co-exist with anyone peacefully."

"But when we spoke again in the months after…"

"In that time," Blair elaborated, "I was rescuing the new heads of this S.H.I.E.L.D. Among them was the new director, Robert Gonzales. He offered me a position here, and I took it. He then asked me to help spy on your team. If it helps, I did start to care for you again, Arthur. I think you've become a better man since that night at the diner and that you've been better your social skills at best. However, the time has come for you to stop giving orders, and start listening to orders again."

With that, she took out a handgun and pointed it at Katie.

"Now." She explained, "If you would. Please stand down. I don't want to have to ask you a second time."

Arthur got in the way of Katie.

"No, Blair." He retorted, "You want her, you go through me. Pull the trigger. I've got nothing left to lose."

Katie decided she couldn't wait any longer. She needed to get out of here now.

"GORDON!" She screamed.

With that, a ball of electrical energy appeared behind her as three new figures emerged. One of them was a man with grey hair and no eyes, wearing a fancy suit. Next to him on the left was a woman with almost pale-like skin and white hair, with blue eyes and to the right was a tall young man with short, dark brown hair and blue eyes wearing blue jeans, a dark gray hoodie, and black sneakers.

Before Arthur could react, the man with no eyes grabbed Katie and then Arthur and the rest of the agents felt a tingle in their minds before the four disappeared. The other agents stood back up confused at what had happened since on minute they were aiming for Katie Shiela and then the next minute she was gone with no memory about how she disappeared.

Arthur, however, was falling. He was descending down an endless void of darkness as if he were diving into the darkest hole in existence. Then, when he felt that this would never end, he felt the ground finally make contact. It should've killed him but for some reason, he only landed with a little bit of impact, yet not enough to kill him.

Confused, Arthur got up and looked in horror. For some reason, he was now onboard a Hellicarrier, but it was engulfed in flames. Everything looked wrecked and the carrier seemed like it was barely functioning. But what was really disturbing was that he was over New York City, but there were giant holograms with words such as 'Peace through strength!' or 'Continuance through conformity.' Then there was Stark Tower, but instead it had the familiar symbol of HYDRA on there. And the Statue of Liberty. Dear God. It had been somehow misshapen and remade to feature the Red Skull crushing the world in his hand.

"No…" Arthur gasped, horrified, "Oh dear god. No. This…this can't be. We beat HYDRA."

"Arthur…" A female voice called out weakly.

Arthur turned around and saw a female figure lying in the shadows near one of the doors to the inside of the carrier.

"KATIE!" Arthur breathed happily, running over to help her, "Oh, thank god! You're still here."

He flipped her around, but then fell back in shock. It wasn't Katie.

It was his Mother. However, she looked very different from the last time he saw her. Her skin was pale white and her eyes were yellow as if she were possessed.

"No…" Arthur declared, "It can't be you! You're dead!"

"You really think I wouldn't have a contingency plan, Arthur?" His mother asked.

Suddenly, Arthur felt someone grab his shoulder and then turned him around so he could see another version of his mother, flanked by a dozen more.

"You failed, Arthur." One of his Mother clones said, "You let this world die, and now HYDRA runs things now. You no longer serve any purpose."

With that, his mother duplicates began ganging up on him and started to beat him senseless. It was almost comedic, but Arthur felt every punch that these clones threw at him. They also appeared to be much stronger than anybody Arthur had faced before, as one punched him in his side and he felt his ribs crack.

Arthur slumped to the ground as the other versions of his mothers began to repeatedly kick him. Arthur felt that there was nothing he could do, and that he was powerless. HYDRA had won, the world was now in ruins, and there was no reason to keep going.

In reality, Arthur was curled up on the floor spasaming out of control as Blair tried to shake him out of it.

"ARTHUR!" She screamed, "WHAT'S HAPPENING?! ARTHUR!"

"No…" He murmured, "Don't…"

Blair picked up her cell and contacted Robert to inform him of what was going on.

"Robert?" She asked, "We lost Sheila, and have no idea how she got out. It's like our minds were wiped. But Arthur's here and he appears to be delusional. What do you want to do?"

She waited and then responded.

"Okay, yes sir. I'll keep him until he arrives."

….

 _ **Meanwhile, on the road to Arthur's Location…**_

"So what's your story?" Franco asked Jason, "If you don't mind me asking?"

Jason sighed.

"Well, considering the fact that this guy says I need to start trusting others more, and the fact that I don't trust who I thought I could anymore, I don't see why I can't share a little bit."

He looked over at Franco.

"I'm basically ex-S.H.I.E.L.D. from before it fell. My brother and his girlfriend were presumed dead in the aftermath of Project: Insight, and I just found out today my brother's alive and wants innocent people dead."

He paused before speaking.

"I didn't want to join S.H.I.E.L.D. again." He admitted, "But I've always lived by a code of honor, and seeing how my brother's lost his way and actually believes what he's doing is right, I feel it's my duty to try and help stop him."

"Interesting." Franco said, "So what do you think you're going to do once you've stopped your brother?"

Jason sighed.

"I honestly don't know. But I do know that I will stick around long enough to ensure that he won't bother you guys again."

He turned to Franco.

"What about you?" He asked.

"I'm actually from a Mafia Family." Franco explained.

"Funny." Jason explained, "You don't look like the nasty type."

"No, I'm not." Franco said with a soft chuckle, "That was actually the problem. I was too kind-hearted that my father believed that I would never have it in me to carry on the family legacy."

"So what happened?" Jason asked.

Franco sighed.

"HYDRA." He said, "They came to my family with plans for genetic experimentation and paid my family lots of money to use me as a test subject. They knew I wouldn't be anything to them, and so they gladly handed me over for HYDRA to poke around and experiment with for many painful years."

He paused, remembering the long and restless nights being the guinea pig to HYDRA's sick genetics program.

"Eventually they created a way for me to manipulate rocks of all kind at which point I escaped, and tried to rejoin my family. Unfortunately, the US Government got wind of where I was and traced me all the way back there. Nearly all of my family was either killed or arrested in the ensuing battle and I was taken to a special corrections facility until they released me years later. I joined up with Arthur after he found out about me and I've been working with him ever since to try to prove I'm nothing like my family. I don't want to be remembered for just causing death."

Jason was about to speak when the communications system kicked in again.

"Come in! Franco Adessi! Repeat! Come in Franco Adessi!"

"Franco Adessi reporting!" Franco said.

"This is Director Phil Coulson." Phil explained, "We have a plan of attack but Arthur has been taken hostage. Fortunately, we're en-route to intercept before he can be taken away. Where's your location?"

"We're not that far away from where he said he was." Franco answered.

"Okay." He said, "Follow the directions to his house. We're going to get him out of there and then we're going to get our friends back and take back S.H.I.E.L.D. Wait for us there."

"Alright." Jason declared, "Read you loud and clear Director Phil Coulson."

With that, they turned off the communications and continued driving. About an hour later, they were at the rural home where they saw Arthur outside being taken in restrains and kicking and screaming. Escorting him were more of these rouge S.H.I.E.L.D. Agents than they could handle.

"I've never seen Arthur like this." Franco declared.

"Me either." Jason agreed, "So what's the plan, then?"

Before either could say anything, there was a loud whirling sound from up above where Arthur was being escorted. Then they saw a cloaked hanger open and out jumped a familiar looking man. He was a bald African American man with some scorch marks along his left face, wearing a futuristic robotic-like armor. The other agents bellow looked amazed as he fired a canister which instantly sprayed them with a gas which caused them to drop to the ground unconscious. The man then dropped down and grabbed Arthur, as Lance Hunter appeared in the hangar. The man threw Arthur up to which Lance caught him and brought him inside.

"Gentlemen." Phil's voice said, over the communications, "This is Mike Peterson, one of my special contacts. I suggest you make sure that your seatbelts are fastened now."

Before either could ask why, Mike ran over to their car and picked it up. The two braced themselves as he threw the car into the hangar of the ship. Since the ship hand moved farther down and wasn't that far away, it fit perfectly inside as the two got out and Mike joined them. The two then felt the ship take off as Phil rejoined them to take a look at Arthur who was still murmuring as Lance lightly slapped him.

"Arthur, Arthur!" He declared, turning to Phil, "He's not waking up."

"Nmm….Mom…stop…" Arthur groaned.

"I've seen a report like this before from him." Phil realized, "He's under some kind of mind control."

Mike took a quick scan of Arthur's body before frowning.

"Whatever's happening to him," He explained, "His body believes it's actually happening. So unless we wake him up, I don't think he'll be waking up at all."

"Hold on…" Franco declared, "I did some time in medical studies. There was an incident with people in Asia who experienced symptoms similar to Arthur's. If I recall, a few good electrical shocks at just the right voltage might bring him out of this."

"And if it doesn't?!" Lance asked.

"It's better than doing nothing at all." Jason acknowledged.

"Agreed." Phil said, "Let's get him prepped. Mr. Addesi, you'll help walk us through what to do."

….

Inside Arthur's mind, things were only getting worse. Within his mind, his teammates had arrived to help, but one by one they all fell to the combined might of his mother. Sabrina and Bruce were in the Quinjet which was hit by a missile launcher from one of the clones, while another managed to catch Faye ejecting from the seat before tossing her into the helicarrier engine shredding her to death. Jessica had put up a good fight but was eventually overpowered by the clones of Arthur's mother who proceeded to beat her to death before shooting her in the head before Arthur's eyes.

Katie was apparently somewhere on here also. They showed her in a cell with pleading eyes crying for Arthur to help, but the overpowered might of this endless brigade of mother clones was too much for Arthur that he actually felt like he couldn't take much more before he expired.

"You know what the worst part is?" One of his mothers asked, "You never got to say goodbye to Katie."

Katie…

Arthur suddenly caught a quick second wind and swung his foot around, bringing some of his mothers down for the count. Getting back up, Arthur quickly ran over to a half-broken antenna and ripped it off. He then swung it around before slamming it into one of his mother clone's face, leaving a nasty gash in there. The mother he hit staggered back, covering her mouth with a hand as it began to get soaked in a red liquid. Arthur then took the antenna and swung it into another clone's knee, causing her to fall in pain, at which point, Arthur swung again at the back of her head and she went down, he was about to swing the bat again and hit another in the chest, when he felt a searing pain of electricity jolt through his body from nowhere.

Arthur sat upright and realized he was no longer on the damaged hellicarrier, nor in the hideout, but now onboard a S.H.I.E.L.D. Quinjet interior, where Phil Coulson was kneeling over him next to Lance Hunter, Mike Peterson, Jason Steele, and Franco Addesi.

"KATIE!" Arthur screamed, in realization.

"Arthur…" Phil said, "Katie's gone."

"I know." Phil assured, "But right now, we've got a plan to get her back."

Arthur nodded before getting up slowly.

"Thanks." He said, "To all of you. Without your help I don't think I'd ever had gotten out alive and in one piece."

"You're welcome." Franco said.

Arthur nodded and turned to Jason.

"I'm glad you're still here, Jason." He smiled, "Even when things got tough, you still came back."

Jason nodded.

"Well," He said, "It turns out my brother's involved with this rouge S.H.I.E.L.D."

"I'm sorry." Arthur apologized, "I truly am."

"It's alright." Jason assured, "But I'm gonna stay with you guys until this mess is sorted out. Afterwards, I'm done."

"Fair enough." Arthur acknowledged, "So what's the plan. How do we find Katie?"

Phil sighed.

"That's the tough part." He explained, "First we're going to retrieve Fitz who has the toolbox Director Fury gave to me. Then comes the part you're probably not going to like. Mike's been secretly learning all he can about HYDRA for me. Turns out they have a program that's taken an interest in people like Skye and Katie. Someone named Dr. List knows about it, but in case he doesn't there's only one other person who's done work with him in the past who Mike actually learned about before he came to answer my distress call."

He turned to Arthur solemnly.

"That person's Roger James Smith."

Arthur's eyes widened.

"But…" Arthur realized, "The only person who would know where he is…"

"Is Tyler Boateng." Phil finished, "So I'm sorry, Agent Williams. But we're going to need to investigate both sources if we want to find Skye and Katie. So that means you're going to have to team up with Tyler."

Arthur sat in silence.

"It's alright." Jason assured, "I promise I won't do anything. You have my word."

Arthur sighed.

"Then let's go and pay Tyler a visit after we get Fitz." Arthur declared, a look of determination in his eyes.

….

 _ **Meanwhile, Afterlife…**_

Katie awoke with a groan and realized she was lying on a bed with some weird needles in her body. Surprisingly, these needles weren't causing her that much pain, but her body was still glowing green. Suddenly, the door opened and in entered a Chinese-looking woman with some scars along her face along with a boy with floppy red hair wearing a black T-Shirt and Jeans.

"Good." She said, "You're awake. Welcome to Afterlife, Katie Sheila."

"Who…Who are you?" Katie asked.

"My name's Jiaying." The woman introduced, "You're safe. You're in what I refer to as Afterlife. It's the place where you can learn to control your powers and stay safe from the rest of the world."

Katie looked at the pins in her arms and then back to her as if waiting for an explanation. Jiaying smiled softly.

"It's to get you started." She explained, "Everybody who goes through the mist here has gone through the process. It's just to keep you under control and then you can begin learning how to control your powers. You'll be given a teacher as with most of the other people who learn here."

"So who's mine?" Katie asked.

Katie heard the sound of footsteps coming and stared in shock when she saw who it was. The man was about 6 foot 2 inches tall with brown eyes, black hair, very well fit, with a goatee and a scar across his chin wearing a light blue buttoned down T-Shirt and black jeans. Next to him was a woman who despite the hideous mutation, Katie still managed to recognize. The woman's skin seemed lighter than last she remembered, and her eyes were more-cat like, but perhaps the most disturbing part was the fact that she had thorns coming out from parts of her body which was mostly covered up by jeans and a black hoodie.

"Nick…Raina…" Katie seethed, her body suddenly starting to glow orange, "The hell are you doing here?!"

"Helping you, by the looks of it." Raina explained, looking over Katie, "Before you begin, I'm sorry that you don't see eye-to-eye with me, but I intend to prove myself to you as your teacher."

"Like hell." Katie declared, her body getting increasingly warmer.

"Katie, please." Jiaying pleaded, "I tried asking but Raina insisted that she's supposed to help. I assume you don't want to end up killing everyone, but I need you to trust her for now."

Katie calmed down as her body returned to normal. She didn't like the situation she was put in, but she remembered that Arthur was willing to do anything he could to help her. If Katie was to get control over her power, she would have to take whatever help was offered, even if she didn't like the person it was coming from.

"Fine." Katie said, "But if she even tries as much as manipulate me, I won't be held responsible for what happens next."

"Good." Jiaying said, "Now get some sleep, Katie. You have a busy day ahead of you."

 _ **To Be Continued…**_

…

 **So there you go, everyone! Hope you all enjoyed and that I made it long enough to make up for lost time. Anyways, it seems now that both Arthur and Katie have to make dirty deals to get what they want, but how far will they go? And what about the rest of the team being held by Gonzales's S.H.I.E.L.D.? The next chapter I will try to get up in the next month or so, but we'll see what happens. Rest assured, I'm back and I hope this was a satisfying Thanksgiving Day treat for all of you. Have a very healthy and safe thanksgiving and I'll see you later. Reviews are appreciated but please no flames.**


	11. Enemies Close

**Hi, everyone! So yeah. Here's another Spec-Ops Team 2 Fanfic before the special one I post on Christmas Day! What could that be? You'll just have to read and find out for yourselves, though depending on if you've also been following the MCU (for which that is a good thing) you might get it. Anyways, suffice it to say that I've been busy with my Christmas Parties, and seeing a little known indie film that you might've heard of called _Star Wars Episode VII- The Force Awakens_. If you haven't seen it already, you need to run out and see it as soon as possible. Go on. I'll wait. Anyways, this fanfic is a two-parter the second I'll release on Christmas Day sometime in the late evening, although it's gonna probably be a long ride to where I'm going. Fortunately I have most of that chapter set up and finishing it should be a piece of cake. Until then, I hope you enjoy this little story and a bonus prize goes to anyone who can spot the Marvel Comic Cameo I have here. Hope you enjoy! And as always, I own NOTHING but my OC's! This is for FAN-Purposes ONLY, so PLEASE don't sue! Other than that, enjoy!**

 _ **Honolulu, Hawaii…**_

Maya Katrina was satisfied. The plan to brainwash Roger Smith had gone perfectly and once the process had finished, the HYDRA leader had become completely compliant to any suggestions she or Tyler gave him. As such, once they were sure that any last resistance had been snuffed out of him, the first thing the two had done was get out of the frying pan and retreated to Honolulu, Hawaii thanks to the funds Roger had from his HYDRA involvement.

After receiving fake I.D.'s (Maya was now known as Sarah Goice, and Tyler as Evan Drekin,) Tyler had gotten to work on having Roger explain what really happened to her. The blows had been hard as HYDRA had just picked her out of the crowd to be an equal to Arthur William's protégé, Katie Sheila (a plan which Roger admitted he wanted nothing to do with, but only did so to prove loyalty to HYDRA and further his goals of finding Nick Jones,) and that her parents had been gunned down and killed when Maya had been brought in to become brainwashed. As it turned out, her parents had loved her with all their heart and now she couldn't even apologize to them.

But Tyler was there for her. Tyler understood her pain completely. He told her that he himself had tried to convince his mother he wasn't a killer, and in the end it was pointless. There was no redemption for people like them even in the arms of those who seemed close to them, as his mother had completely given up on him even after Tyler explained he was only doing what he thought was right. Something Maya could understand completely.

Maya smiled to herself. Tyler had helped her out of the darkness and in turn had become something of an older brother to her, who helped ease her pain and give her a reason for living again that wasn't just for survival. It was for building a life with another kindred spirit who had been given as very little options as she had just for following orders.

As of right now, the two had enjoyed their 'retirement' in Hawaii as Maya now worked as a waitress in the five-star hotel which they currently resided in, while Tyler had become a package handler for incoming groceries at a store that was only a short drive away from here. All-in-all, everything worked out in the end and Maya was extremely thankful that she could always count on someone like Tyler to understand her.

As she finished putting on her work uniform, she went into the dining room surprised to see only three people in there sitting at different tables reading a newspaper. Granted, this was Sunday and most people had other things to do, but Maya couldn't help but shake a feeling that something was wrong. As she approached the person sitting closest to the railing which overlooked the beach bellow them, she smiled kindly, putting on a nice demeanor.

"Good morning, sir." She greeted, "Can I get you anything today?"

With that, the person folded their paper up and Maya felt her blood turn cold. The person behind the paper was none other than Arthur Williams who looked at her with a sarcastic smile.

"No thanks." He replied, "I think I've got everything I need right here."

Maya backed up, but her ears picked up on two clicking noises as she realized the other two men were pointing guns at her from behind their papers.

"Oh, and don't even bother calling for security." Arthur noted, "We have a bomb planted right bellow your hotel, so I really do hope that you're comfortable as you can be right now."

Maya looked at Arthur horrified.

"You're bluffing." She reasoned.

"I'm not." Arthur admitted, "See, there is actually something I do need and you're going to help us get it."

….

 _ **Meanwhile…**_

"Hey, thanks for coming in early, Evan!" Tyler's new boss replied as he handed him the last large package, "Sorry we had to drag you out of bed again, but this mother insisted on having these supplies ready by this week and you're the only guy I know who could unload these many things so quickly."

"No problem." Tyler smiled.

He honestly enjoyed his current job more than any of his previous jobs. He was actually helping people this time around and it felt good to do it personally with a fresh start.

"Where'd you say you learned to do all that stuff again?" His boss asked.

"Trade secret, sir." Tyler replied.

"Well, thanks again." His boss replied, "You've earned the rest of the day off. Go home, spend time with your girl and enjoy yourself."

"Thanks." Tyler nodded, "I will."

As he began to leave the store he worked at, he felt his phone vibrate. Pulling it out, he saw it was from Maya and answered it.

"Sarah!" He answered, using Maya's codename, "Listen, honey, I'm sorry I had to go into work today. But I promise we're still doing the luau tonight…"

"Hello, sweetie." A familiar voice replied from the other line.

Tyler stopped dead in his tracks. He knew the voice all-too-well.

"Arthur." He whispered, ducking into a nearby alley to speak in private as best he could, "What the hell are you doing here?!"

"Oh, nothing much." Arthur replied, sarcastically, "Thought I'd take a vacation. Y'know? See the sights, get some waves, some rays… and then I remembered; we've barely spoken since you went AWOL. You never call, you never text. I'm beginning to think that you've been going out of your way to avoid both S.H.I.E.L.D. and HYDRA. Well, unfortunately for you, the plans are about to change."

"What the hell do you want?!" Tyler demanded, "If you've hurt one hair on Maya's head…"

"She's fine." Arthur assured, "We're having coffee right now as we speak. But how long she remains safe is up to you. Though if it'll convince you I'm telling the truth about where she is…"

There was a pause before Tyler heard it.

"Tyler…" Maya whispered.

"Maya." Tyler replied, very concerned, "Are you all right?! Has he hurt you?!"

"No." Maya whispered, very nervously, "But he's holding me here at the hotel and he has a bomb ready to detonate unless you comply."

With that, there was another pause as Tyler got serious.

"You wouldn't detonate that bomb." Tyler pointed out.

"Only if I have nothing left to lose." Arthur noted, "Disobey, and I'll gladly detonate the bomb after I strap her to it so you can feel what I'm like right now. Though knowing you, I'd say you have enough blood on your hands to not want them dirtied anymore."

Tyler sighed. Arthur knew exactly which buttons to press so his options were very limited again.

"What the hell do you want?!" Tyler demanded.

"Never thought I'd have to pull a reverse- _Taken_ to hear you say that." Arthur noted, "Anyways, get back to the hotel. We're about to have a long-overdue chat."

With that, he hung up as Tyler began moving back to the hotel as fast as he could.

….

 _ **Meanwhile, Afterlife…**_

Katie groaned as she tried to concentrate again, only to end up shooting an orange fiery streak into the sky as her body glowed the same orange color as her shot.

"Again." Raina declared.

"I can't do it!" Katie screamed.

"She says she can't do it." Nick pointed out.

"I saw her do it." Raina insisted, "Right here, Katie apparently created a sensation which lit up the night sky. It was something truly magnificent and I know she does it right here with us."

Katie sighed. Since being released for her training, she learned that in addition to becoming a thorny cat-lady, Raina had somehow gained the power of seeing into the future in her dreams. According to her most recent dream, Katie had apparently created something wonderful up here on the mountains of this community called Afterlife. There were others here too including Skye and apparently the leader of this society, Jiaying, told Katie that Rose had been here too and they had helped her out as well. Unfortunately, Rose wasn't here anymore since they had to move her to another location as this place was getting too full.

Katie couldn't believe how well-hidden this place was. Apparently, these people had lived in secret for many years training their powers not only here, but in other hidden locations around the world as well. Apparently, these people were the result of aliens leaving behind something like the diviner which had given Katie her powers and they had been kept secret for a very long time. Katie was told how lucky she was to come out of the mist without any deformities. From what Jiaying had told her, some of the people here weren't so lucky like Gordon who had teleported her here. His exposure to the mist had cost him his eyes, but he adapted thanks to Jiaying training him to know where he was without sight.

Katie secretly wished that she had been deformed so she wouldn't have to keep practicing up here.

"Come on." Raina declared, "Again."

"How about we add the word 'never' before that, and we have a deal?" Katie demanded, sitting down on a rock, "We've been at this for three hours now!"

"It doesn't matter." Raina declared, "I know what I saw and you are going to make a miracle today."

"Over my dead body, Palpatine." Katie spat, before sighing, "I should've never come to this goddamn place."

"You know," Raina said, "Your mother told me that you would be this stubborn, but I never actually believed that it would be anything like this."

Katie looked up surprised.

"Waitasec." She declared, "My Mom's here?!"

"Yes." Raina said, "In fact, Jiaying told me you'd see her after we completed your training."

"Like hell, we are." Katie growled, getting up and leaving to seek out Jiaying immediately."

….

 _ **Meanwhile, Honolulu, Hawaii…**_

Tyler walked into the restaurant apprehensively only to find two men there. One he recognized as the guy who shot his Mom in London, but the other was apparently new to him. The new guy was a tall, athletic man with a well-built body and a muscular physique. He had tanned olive skin, dark brown hair which was long and wavy at the top but short in the back and sides, with deep blue eyes. He also had a chiseled jaw and very dark facial features, thick, smooth eyebrows, light stubble on his jaw and prominent cheekbones. Both men were wearing short sleeved shirts and pants, with sandals. However, Tyler knew that they both had weapons concealed somewhere.

"Your weapons, please." The new guy asked as he and the guy who shot his Mom held their hands out expectedly.

Tyler glared as he handed his gun over, and removed his arm from his side before handing it to them.

"Thank you." The new guy said, "Your table is right over there. Table for three."

Tyler walked in the direction they motioned to and found Arthur there with his feet on the table and that smug grin on his face. He was dressed just like the men except he had sunglasses, and wore a Hawaiian T-Shirt with a lei around his neck. Next to his feet was a cup of coffee which Arthur made sure not to accidently knock over. Across from Arthur was Maya who looked very worried which was something Maya rarely ever did anymore. Upon seeing Tyler, Arthur smiled, carefully bringing his feet down and beneath the table.

"Well, it's just like the old days." Arthur smiled, "You, me, a girl, and you missing an arm."

Tyler remained quiet and serious as he sat down in the middle which was overlooking the beach bellow them. He looked at Arthur seriously.

"The hell do you want?" He demanded.

"I want you." Arthur stated, "I want your resources of what you know about Dr. List, HYDRA'S Big Heads, and any leads they have on superhumans who aren't publically known."

Tyler looked at Arthur with a glare while Arthur just smiled, as if he were expecting a punchline.

"Even if I could," Tyler answered, "Why the hell should I help you?"

"Well," Arthur answered, "One is because of the bomb I mentioned in our phone call. Two, is I thought to myself 'what would make Tyler want to help besides kidnapping his girlfriend and holding her hostage?'"

"She's not my girlfriend." Tyler said, "She's an injured soul who needs my help."

Arthur raised an eyebrow as he took a sip of his coffee.

"How poetic for a sociopath." Arthur replied, placing the cup back down, "But either way, you do this, and we're square."

Tyler looked at Arthur now interested.

"Square?" He asked, "As in…"

"You do this, and you and you injured soul can ride off into the sunset together and live happily ever after." Arthur finished, "No strings attached. You'll have complete amenity from S.H.I.E.L.D. and assured state-of-the-art protection from HYDRA."

"You realize you could've just called me about this without the need for a bomb." Tyler pointed out.

"Would you have picked up?"

Tyler thought for a minute and nodded.

"Fair enough."

"So do we have a deal?" Arthur asked, holding his hand out.

Tyler looked at the hand before he shook it.

"Just keep in mind." Arthur pointed out, "You try anything and I'll be the first to know. You'll know when that happens."

"Then I suggest you keep one eye open." Tyler shot back.

…

 _ **Meanwhile, Afterlife…**_

Zelda was reading away at a book on poetry when the doors opened and Katie walked in followed by Jiaying.

"I'm sorry." Jiaying apologized, "She demanded to see you."

With that, she closed the door and Katie stood facing her mother. After an awkward silence, her mother finally spoke.

"I'm sorry." She apologized.

Katie looked at her surprised. This wasn't the same woman she had come to know in recent months, and instead she felt like she was talking to an entirely different person.

"I'm sorry for everything I've done in your name, Katie." Zelda continued, "You were right. I had no right to take all those lives, and there's so much more that I've done that I now feel ashamed of."

She looked at her daughter seeing that she was listening before continuing.

"When your father and I met, I felt like I was a part of something greater. That I wasn't just some lucky girl who won a ticket to learn veterinarian skills. I felt I had become a part of something bigger and losing your father…I didn't want to live the rest of my life pretending that was a secret. I don't expect you to understand."

Katie sighed. This was all too familiar to her as Katie's own life intersected at similarities to her mother's own history.

"Actually, Mom. I understand." Katie admitted.

Zelda smiled softly.

"Well, either way…I'm leaving tomorrow." She admitted.

Katie looked at her amazed.

"What?" She asked.

"Jiaying said that Cal and I need to let you and Skye grow more on your own and we all agreed it was for the best."

Katie was worried now. Maybe Skye could take care of Cal, but Katie knew that her own mother, left unchecked, was a sociopathic train wreck and felt she couldn't stand by while her mother took her rage out on innocents.

Then a thought occurred in her head. It wasn't one that she liked, but maybe if she did it, it would increase the chances of her mother not having another freak-out incident.

"Mom…" Katie asked, "If I ask Jiaying, could I spend some time with you before you left?"

Katie saw her mother eyes widen, and fill with a joyful hope she hadn't seen at all. Suddenly, her mother became something that didn't seem as cruel and merciless.

"You mean…" Her mother asked, "Just have a girl's night out? Or rather a girl's day? I'm sorry, I don't know what they call it…"

Katie couldn't help but laugh softly. Her mother suddenly had become something not as evil, but she had to remind herself that it was all to assure that she wouldn't hurt anyone.

"Was that a laugh?" Her mother questioned with a raised eyebrow.

"N…no." Katie tried to assure.

"It was."

"So would you be up for it?" Katie asked.

Zelda smiled at her daughter. It looked like her daughter had come around after all.

"Absolutely!" Her mother declared, "I can take you home! Well, to where I grew up anyways! They have the most outstanding things where I grew up… oh, Katie…you are in for quite a treat."

Her mother outstretched her arms inviting her daughter to hug her. And for the first time, Katie willingly accepted. If things worked out, Katie had a great feeling that her mother wouldn't have another panic attack due to feeling obligated to protect her daughter. In what seemed like a long time, Katie felt as if she was doing something worthwhile that made a difference. She at last felt at peace with herself.

She was so proud of herself that she didn't notice her body suddenly turning into a multispectrum of colors until her mother pulled away and looked at her daughter surprised.

"Katie…"

Katie looked at herself and saw what was occurring. As she looked surprised, the colors suddenly shot upwards into fireworks that seemed to do no harm instead falling to the ground like snowflakes before disappearing.

"What…what happened?" Katie asked, surprised.

"I think you've discovered a new part of your powers." Her mother suggested.

Suddenly Katie realized something. This might have been what Raina was talking about. She just needed to use this focus and concentration of her emotions and amplify it on a larger scale.

Katie ran off as her mother looked surprised.

"Where are you going?" She asked.

"To convince Jiaying!" Katie smiled.

…

 _ **Meanwhile…**_

Arthur watched as Roger Smith was making various calls on his cell phone. He was flanked by both Franco and Jason who each had their guns pointed at Maya and Tyler respectively.

"So what exactly is Roger doing that'll help us find who we're looking for?" Arthur asked.

"Well." Tyler replied, "If it'll get you to trust us, Roger was so obsessed with finding Nick Jones that he had a machine planned to track the pattern of a certain individual who apparently can teleport in and out of places. Roger had heard rumors of this guy and created something that would detect where this person was. Considering how this guy isn't publically known, I figured this might fall under the line of 'ways to please Arthur Williams.'"

"And what about List and Strucker?" Arthur asked.

"No idea about them." Tyler admitted, "Besides, Roger here has some men who were loyal to him. It's how I stayed under the radar until you showed up again. They'll get it done."

At that moment, Roger finished his call and turned to the others happily.

"Alright." He said, "It's done. The machine should be ready in about four hours."

Arthur groaned and walked away.

"What's wrong with him?" Maya asked out loud.

"Nothing." Franco replied, "And how do we know if it'll be ready in four hours?"

"Because Roger was compulsive in finding Nick Jones that he made sure things were very specific for the day someone approved his project." Tyler replied, "And you're welcome, by the way."

…

 _ **Meanwhile, Afterlife…**_

"This was a mistake." Nick sighed, looking at Raina, "We can't just convince Katie to learn from us."

"You think I don't know that?" Raina snapped.

"Well, I assumed you would." Nick muttered.

"Was that an insult?"

"You tell me." Nick replied, "Why don't you tell me what's in store for my future?!"

Raina was quiet.

"My powers don't always work that way." Raina explained, "When I do see something involving your future, you'll be the first to know."

Nick nodded and then he noticed something out of the corner of his eye. Turning with Raina, the two saw Katie eagerly approaching the spot where she had previously been trying to pull off Raina's vision.

"Okay." Katie said, determined, standing on the rock overlooking the mountains, "I think I got it, so as a great man once said; 'hold onto your butts.'"

With that, she concentrated her emotions on that feeling she had when she agreed to help her mother out. Just the way of feeling like she was doing something right again that made a difference and helped people. Suddenly, her body began to glow with a multi-colored energy which she then projected outwards. The light swirl began to circle the top of the mountain as the residents of Afterlife came out to see what the deal was. Once she had figured everybody had enough time to see what she was doing, Katie let her surprise come out as the swirling lights seemed to implode into itself. A second later, the lights returned exploding like fireworks which dissolved all around afterlife. It was an incredible sight the likes of which were only seen during the Chinese New Year when Afterlife set up fireworks for people to view, and even then it was not as beautiful as what Katie had just created.

Speaking of which, Katie was feeling proud of herself. At last, she felt she knew exactly how to tap into each emotion and how to keep the others in check until needed. Now she felt the confidence that she could walk the streets on her own or in the company of others without fear of her powers getting the better of her again. She turned to look at Raina and Nick who were looking at her with amazement.

"So was that the prophecy fulfilled?" She asked.

"I suppose so." Raina admitted, "I won't lie, it was better than my vision showed me."

"How'd you do it, Katie?" Nick asked her.

Katie smiled.

"By learning to help someone who desperately needed my help." Katie replied.

…

 _ **Later…**_

Zelda was packing her things when the doors to her room opened and in entered Jiaying along with Katie and Gordon.

"So good news." Katie smiled, "I talked with Jiaying and she allowed me a whole day with you."

Zelda smiled and embraced her daughter for a hug.

"You should be very proud, Zelda." Jiaying smiled, "Your daughter gave Afterlife an event unlike anything seen before. Some of the younger ones have even began to ask Katie if she could do this as a yearly event. Your daughter's finally embraced her gift."

"Don't worry also." Katie smiled, "You can come back and visit when I do it again next year."

"Great." Zelda smiled, "That'll be a day to look forward to. For now, let's focus on the present and my past."

"So where are we going?" Katie asked as Gordon stood between the two.

"Darlington, South Carolina." Zelda replied, before the three of them vanished.

…

 _ **Meanwhile…**_

"Done." Roger declared, as the tracking information suddenly appeared on his phone.

There was a 'ping.' Sound as he looked at the information received.

"And good news!" He declared, "There's just been a confirmed energy pulse that's appeared in Darlington, South Carolina!"

Arthur wasted no time and imminently jumped to the controls of the ship Phil had loaned him, setting the coordinates and praying to God he'd find Katie safe and sound.

…

 _ **Darlington, South Carolina…**_

Gordon disappeared behind the two as Zelda took Katie's hand leading them out of where they had been hiding behind.

"Katie." Zelda smiled, "We're home."

"Home?" Katie asked, confused.

"Well, home where I grew up, that is." Zelda admitted, "This is where I spent most of my life before I moved to China where your father and I fell in love. But when your grandma and grandpa on my side passed away, your father took me back here and with Jiaying and Cal's help, assured that my first home would always be welcome back to me. So you want to see the house I grew up in first, or…"

"Are there any places of importance here?" Katie asked, "Just out of curiosity?"

"Actually, yes." Zelda nodded, as the two walked down the street, "There's this great music store which I went to while growing up not too far from here. They sold records from the best artists there; The Beatles, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen…I would buy each one the day I heard they arrived in-store and listen to them at home…"

Zelda stopped as Katie looked ahead. Where Zelda had hoped to see the music store, there was instead a new Bank.

"Mom?" Katie asked.

Zelda shook her head.

"Nevermind." Zelda sighed, "Things come and go. Come on, I'll show you my old school."

Eventually, Katie was dragged to a nearby school. Zelda's eyes suddenly lit up when she read the words 'Alumni Party Today.'

"Oh my god." Zelda smiled, "I forgot! It's the Student Alumni Party! Wait here, Katie."

"Wait, Mom!" Katie asked, "If we do this, what time do you think we'll be to your house by?"

Zelda thought for a few minutes.

"Well," She guessed, "My house is only a ten minute walk, so depending on us getting in, it should take about a half hour or so."

"Okay, thanks Mom." Katie smiled.

Instantly, she got to work on sending a secured text to Arthur.

'With Mom in Darlington, SC, need…'

She was suddenly cut off when she heard a scream and saw her mother holding someone in front of the school against the wall.

"LISTEN HERE." Zelda declared, "I have been all around the goddamn world and have just earned some quality time with my daughter. I intend to show her some places that meant a lot to me, and I'm going to be damned if I'm not let into this school. Understand?!"

The guy nodded fearfully as Zelda looked back at her daughter and nodded her head to go in as if nothing was wrong. Once inside, the two were given name tags which they wrote their names on before entering a gym. Inside they found people of all ages socializing and having what appeared to be a great time. There was music playing but Katie could tell from her mother's expression that she did not approve of this music at all.

"Katie?" Her mother asked, "Did you know music used to mean something instead of it just being endless…what's it that your generation calls it? 'Sex, rap, and dubstep?'"

"Mom, it's just music." Katie assured, trying to calm her down.

"Well, the music in my day used to actually mean something. The music back then could bring people together, unite others, and remind us of our own humanity. Now it's replaced by a never-ending trend that I'm pretty sure the people here can't even recite the lyrics."

"Mom, can we talk for a second?" Katie asked, pulling her mom's arm to the side.

"What?" Her mother asked confused.

"Stop." Katie begged.

"Stop what?" Her mother asked.

"Stop getting upset at every single thing." Katie replied, "Look, I know you've gone through a lot to be with me, but you can't let every inconvenience be personal to you. This is the only time we have together, and if you really want it, you have to prove you're willing to put me above personal grudges."

Zelda looked at her daughter as if she were understanding her, but then stopped when she heard a familiar voice.

"Well, look who it is."

"Screw. My. Life." Zelda swore as she noticed a pretty raven-haired girl in a work suit approaching her, "Lorina Dodson."

"Who?" Katie whispered.

"One of the worst bullies I ever had. Basically came from a richer class family, and enjoyed abusing me every day."

"You got past her once." Katie warned, "Show me that you're grown-up enough to not let her get to you now."

"Why, Zelda!" Lorina declared, mockingly, "Look at you! You've got a follower! What are you, a pedo now?"

"For the record, Lorina." Zelda seethed, but kept voice with an authority above her, "This 'follower' happens to be my daughter."

"Your daughter?!" Lorina laughed, looking Katie up and down, "So that trip to China allowed you to find a Chinese Massage Palor for females, bang, and pop out a little baby. Big deal I got married to a writer, Zelda. He took me on book tours from Paris, to Greece, to London. And we had our wedding at a place which overlooked the London Eye, Zelda. And my two daughters are just angles being pampered in both ballet and gymnastics. All you have is a piece of Chinese trash. Bet the father upped-and-left because he couldn't live-up to the standards of being a Dad."

Zelda wanted to punch Lorina so hard right now. It would be easy to and it would wipe the smile off of her face. But she remembered that Katie was asking to show that she wasn't a monster and that she could keep herself in-check. Zelda remembered that if Katie could do it, so could she.

"Are you getting upset?" Lorina asked, amused, "Cause I'll fight you any time any place under any conditions if it's a fight you're looking for."

Suddenly, an idea popped up in Zelda's head and she smiled.

"Alright." Zelda nodded, "I accept. The time, a week from now. The place, my home in Australia. The conditions, you bring a hundred dollars plus two-hundred extra which you pay me if you win."

Katie and Lorina looked at Zelda surprised.

"What?" Lorina asked.

"Well," Zelda smiled, seeing as how she was outsmarting Lorina, "You told me it'd be under any conditions. So, you come to my place, with money, and fight me there. I figure a week should give you enough time to book a flight in time. Unless you can't afford that in which case you might not be as rich as you claim to be."

Lorina realized she was dealing with a somehow smarter Zelda DuBois than the one who she pushed around in her youth but recomposed herself and looked at Zelda seriously.

"I can fight you here." Lorina insisted.

"Ah." Zelda smiled, wagging a nagging finger at her, "But then you wouldn't be staying true to your offer. Then I could tell your daughters how much of a lying-two-faced-schemer their mother is."

"You don't even have their numbers!" Lorina declared.

"No." Zelda pointed out, "But I can also post it on this new invention called the internet. My daughter's told me there's this thing called 'Facebook' where I can post information. Come to think of it, I could post you in your...floundering Middle School Days perhaps?"

Lorina's face froze as she looked at Zelda sternly.

"No…I made you burn those photos!" She refuted.

"Well, you said get rid of them." Zelda admitted, pulling out her phone, "But I've kept these private to myself to remind me that I at least waited till I was older to make something of my life. But let's say if you tried to start something now…"

She pulled up some images and Katie looked at it surprised to see photographs taken of polarized photos featuring a young Lorina in ecstasy as she was making out with a raven-haired boy behind some bleachers.

"Daddy?" Zelda said, imitating a cockney toddler, "Why is mummy looking so happy without any pants all over the news?"

"You…" Lorina declared, as Zelda stopped her.

"Uh-uh-uh, Cowgirl." Zelda stated, "So this time, I'M setting the terms unless you want these photos and that information to hit the internet, you'll accept."

Lorina growled, but reluctantly nodded.

"Very well." She grumbled, "But know this, when I get there, I am going to make you eat those words."

"Nice seeing you too, Lorina." Zelda smiled as Lorina stormed out.

"You're not going to actually fight her are you?" Katie asked.

"No." Zelda admitted, "Although it would've been fun to. I suppose this makes it better though, right?"

"Not what I had in mind, but for not using any violence, I'll let it pass." Katie smiled.

"C'mon." Katie's Mom smiled, "I'll take you to my home."

Katie continued to put up her proud appearance as she finished her text, while her mother was distracted and sent it out.

…

 _ **Meanwhile…**_

"We're coming up near Darlington soon!" Arthur announced.

Suddenly, he felt something vibrate in his pocket. Looking at his phone, his eyes widened when he saw who it was from.

"Who is it?" Fanco asked.

"It's Katie." Arthur said out loud.

"Katie?!" Tyler asked, honestly surprised.

"What about Katie?" Jason demanded.

"It looks like she's with her Mom heading to her house." Arthur said, "Which means Gonzales probably knows as well."

He looked at his remaining men seriously.

"You watch them until I give the word." Arthur pointed out, "If anyone tries to attack you, hold em close and hold ground until the last second and contact me for instructions."

"And what are you going to do?" Franco asked.

Arthur took a shotgun and pumped it for effect.

"I'm taking my best friend back." Arthur declared.

…

 _ **Meanwhile…**_

"And this is where I grew up." Zelda smiled, showing Katie the house.

It was a bit dilapidated but it wasn't completely falling apart. The major problem was that the house looked like it had been neglected to be given a new coat of paint. Other than that though, it looked safe to go inside.

"Alright." Zelda said, "Let's go in."

Katie did so and found the inside furnished like a stereotypical perfect family home like something out of the 1970's.

"Yeah, uh…" Zelda admitted, "This was going to be our second home. Your father and I built one in Australia, but…yeah, that didn't go as planned."

Zelda shrugged it off and smiled at her daughter softly.

"Anyway, there's something I want to give you."

Zelda reached into her pocket and pulled out a necklace with a ring on there.

"This was your father's wedding ring." She explained, "I kept it all these years because I had faith that I would be able to give this to either you or your sister when you were old enough."

Katie took the necklace and put it on. Zelda just smiled her eyes beginning to swell with tears.

"You look so beautiful with that on." She smiled.

Katie smiled kindly.

"I have to admit you impressed me today, Mom."

"That's me." Zelda smiled, "Anything for my daughter."

Suddenly, the two heard a strange noise and then a soft rumble.

 _Dammit, not now._ Katie thought, hoping that Arthur would get here first.

"Whatever you're doing." A familiar voice said as the two turned to see Arthur pointing a shotgun at Zelda's head, "Get the hell away from my friend, you succubus!"

Zelda instantly got up and looked angrily at Arthur.

"It's funny." She said, "I spend all of today with my daughter without killing anyone, and yet the first thing you do is show up guns-a-blazin'!"

"Quite frankly I don't give a damn." Arthur admitted, "This whole place is about to get flooded with S.H.I.E.L.D. Agents and unless you want to be one of those prison mothers who gets the media attention on TV for murder and ends up on Judge Judy, you'll do exactly as I say."

"Katie how the hell did he find us?!" Zelda demanded.

Before Katie could say anything, Gordon appeared between them. Arthur tried to shoot, but unfortunately ended up missing, as Gordon teleported them all out in time resulting in the bullet hitting nothing.

"NO!" Arthur screamed, "Dammit!"

"Arthur!" Franco's voice called from the communication, "We're about to have company!"

Arthur felt so angry. His only chance to retrieve Katie was gone and now he had used his final ace-in-the-hole. He was about to be surrounded by S.H.I.E.L.D. Agents out for him and back to square one with no idea of how to find Katie. He did have one thing left but that would mean he'd be left all alone again with no way to retrieve her. Still, that option meant he'd be able to plan and then if a miracle came along he'd take it.

"Franco, Jason, get the hell out of there and wait till you hear from me." Arthur replied, "Tyler and Maya can go free."

"You sure?" Jason asked.

"Don't question me, just do it!" Arthur replied, running out of there.

As he stepped outside, he was suddenly surrounded by S.H.I.E.L.D. Agents. Arthur sighed and activated the special light spectrum button on his belt that Bruce and Sabrina had developed. Within seconds, Arthur had become invisible to the human eye, and ran as fast as he could out of there.

…

 _ **Meanwhile…**_

"You heard him." Franco said to the two prisoners, "Get the hell out of here."

"Seriously?" Tyler asked.

"Well unless you want to end up dead, which is my preference, you'll do as he says!" Jason declared.

"Alright." Tyler said, running with Maya and Roger.

The three ran out of the ship and down the blocks. They got to a corner when they found themselves surrounded by S.H.I.E.L.D. Agents. As they fired however, Roger got in the way and was imminently struck down. Tyler took this opportunity to shoot the agents in the head.

"C'mon!" Tyler told Maya, "We'll mourn him later."

…

 _ **Back at the vehicle…**_

As soon as they had their weapons, Jason and Franco were suddenly surrounded by S.H.I.E.L.D. Agents.

Jason looked at Franco.

"Go." He said.

"But Arthur said…"

"I said get out!" Jason assured.

Franco sighed, using his powers, he forced some rocks from outside to rise as Jason threw a smoke bomb. As the room filled with smoke, Franco used the rocks to knock the others out and then took off leaving Jason behind to hold the line.

Eventually though, the agents overwhelmed Jason and he found himself knocked out.

…

 _ **A Few Days Later, Afterlife…**_

Zelda found herself stuck in her room when Gordon came in.

"She's ready for you." Gordon said.

Zelda followed Gordon until she was in Jiaying's office with Katie already seated in front of one desk. Zelda took a seat next to her daughter as Jiaying looked at the two seriously. She had enough on her plate that it had distracted her from a long-overdue talk about the trouble both of them had caused on their 'day out.'

"Now." She explained, "Let's talk about what happened a few days ago…"

Suddenly, there was a scream and Nick burst into the room.

"It's Aliselyn!" Nick declared, "She needs help!"

Jiaying got up as Gordon, Zelda, and Katie followed alongside her. As they approached the place where the two Shinn children provided, they found Patrick trying to keep Aliesyn eased as she screamed with pain.

"What happened?!" Jiaying demanded.

"She was looking at the internet as usual, when suddenly she started convulsing like this!" Patrick declared, "Oh god, Lis! Can you hear me?!"

…

Inside her mind, Lis was alone, with only an avatar of her real body to navigate the information super highway. But now there was another thing standing before her. She had encountered a virus before, but Lis's mind had gotten powerful that she was able to bypass these things without any problems.

But this…this was different.

Lis didn't know what the hell she was looking at now. The best way to describe it was a dark grey metal humanoid figure with two curved metal cylinders on opposite sides of his cheeks. But his eyes…dear god his eyes were glowing red like the devil itself.

"Oh," The machine man declared, "Hello. Don't mind me, I'm just looking for some stuff for a friend."

He paused and looked at her, puzzlingly.

"Actually." He noted, "I just found out how to share three consciousness with my mental and physical body, and I sense something in you."

"What…" Allie asked in horror, "What are you?"

"I am Ultron." The figure declared, "And you… you're…"

He paused and thought for a few minutes.

"Smaller people? No…there's another word for that…I was just talking about it not too long ago…"

He then snapped his fingers.

"Children!" He declared, chuckling at how he easily missed the word, "That's what I was looking for! You're a child. I'm sorry, lost the word there for a second."

He looked at Allie as if he was studying her.

"You're a child, but you seem to be able to bypass the internet as easily as I can. Impressive for a human. Yet at the same time I can tell you have a mutation. Probably along the lines of spinal muscular atrophy. That is indeed interesting, and perhaps worth looking into after I've saved the world. Gives me something else to perfect."

"Save the world?" Allie asked cautiously, "You mean like the Avengers? Captain America, Thor, Iron Man, those guys?"

Ultron suddenly glared at Allie indicating she might've made him upset.

"Iron Man?" He asked, "You think I'm Iron Man? You think I'm Tony Stark?! Look at me! Do I look like Iron Man to you?! I'm…"

Suddenly, a burst of energy erupted from his eyes, striking Allie in the side as she screamed in pain both in the physical and techno world. Ultron realized this and backed away looking guilty and surprised.

"Oh." Ultron Declared, "I am sor... Ooh! I'm sure that's going to be okay. Yeah, you're a techno-presence here so you're body's going to feel like it's on fire in the real world. I'm sorry, it's just I don't understand..."

Suddenly, his emotion went back to angry now completely ignoring Allie.

"Don't compare me with Stark! He's a sickness!" Ultron decreed.

He paused and then looked at her.

"Oops. Gotta go. We'll continue this chat later."

…

Aliselyn suddenly woke up in her physical body feeling all sorts of pain, her eyes crying like a waterfall.

"Lis, what happened?!" Patrick demanded.

"He…I…I don't know how to describe it." Lis's computer replied, "There was someone inside the internet with me."

"What?!" Patrick demanded.

"What was he like?" Jiaying asked, trying to soothe Lis as well.

"He was like a robot…he…he called himself 'Ultron.'"

…

 _ **Meanwhile, The Playground…**_

The rest of Arthur's teammates were all waiting in their cells. Phil had explained that he was going to try and make a deal with them, but that was about three days ago. The food had been decent, but they doubted Phil would be able to bargain for their release. However, that changed today around the afternoon when the lights in the base suddenly went off as red emergency lights filtered the room. Each Agent stood up confused as their cell doors opened. As Arthur's team exited, Mack suddenly ran into the hallway.

"Gear up!" He declared, "We're under attack! I…"

Before he could finish, there was a red cackling energy that engulfed the entire room. The last thing anyone remembered was a white and blue streak soaring past and a large gust of wind.

…

Jessica found herself alone with only a lone lamp to illuminate her view. She suddenly noticed she was holding a gun and followed the smoke from the gun all the way to Desmond Boateng's head which had a hole in there that was currently leaking with blood.

 _No!_ Jessica thought, _What…what have I done?!_

….

Bruce found himself back in the lab for some reason. Turning around, he was met with Sabrina who slapped his face and looked at him angrily.

"You lied to me, Bruce!" She exclaimed, "You said you'd help me and you lied to me! I should've known not to trust you!"

With that, she left in a hurry, locking the door to the lab on the way out effectively trapping Bruce in there.

"SABRINA!" He yelled, "SABRINA LET ME OUT! LET ME OUT!"

…

Sabrina was standing in a graveyard in front of her brother's grave. She was confused as to how she got here, but then an eerie fog began to fill the area and then a hand shot up and grabbed her, pulling her deep underneath as she screamed trying desperately to grab hold of something that would prevent her from sinking within any further.

….

Faye was chasing Nick Jones through a city of some kind. She was so caught up that she didn't even realize she had been traced before a bullet soared straight through her head as she fell to the ground. Then she found herself upright chasing Nick again and the whole thing kept playing over and over.

…

AJ found herself in front of her mother's death bed. She suddenly realized to her horror she was all alone and nobody was coming to help her.

….

Jason Steele found himself overlooking an oppressed world controlled by this new S.H.I.E.L.D. with his brother having replaced Gonzales after his death. Though to his dismay, Thomas had become more ruthless and had created a regime in which nobody was allowed any freedom unless he said so.

…

Desmond frowned. Now everyone was being converted to HYDRA. Even Jessica, who showed no signs of resisting HYDRA's brainwashing techniques and leading troops to slaughter countless others.

….

Soon, the visions stopped and everyone returned to their feet.

"What the hell was that?" Jessica asked, terrified.

"I think I have an idea." Phil Coulson announced, walking into the room.

…

 _ **Meanwhile…**_

Arthur Williams stood in the old Kirby Leeiber gym, pounding away at the punching bag. This was the last place he could think of to hide, and he didn't like that he had to resort to this now when he was so close to recovering Katie.

As he poured all his anger into each punch, he eventually punched the bag so hard that he found his hand in some pain. He didn't feel most of it because he was focused on trying to think of a way to get Katie back.

"Look at it this way, at least you didn't punch the whole bag off."

Arthur turned around genuinely surprised to see former S.H.I.E.L.D. Director Nick Fury standing there, overlooking him.

"Thought you went overseas." Arthur pointed out.

"I came back. Something's come up."

Arthur half-smiled.

"Another mission?" Arthur asked.

"A global one which I think you would enjoy taking part in very much." Fury noted.

….

 _ **Later, The Playground…**_

"Wanda and Pietro Maximoff." Phil pointed out as he, Gonzalez, and Weaver reviewed the security footage featuring a brunette woman and a silver streak infiltrating the base.

"What is it they did to us exactly?" Gonzalez asked.

"I don't understand." Weaver admitted, "What are the twins?"

"Wanda and Pietro Maximoff were two twins from Sokovia whose parents were killed by Stark's equipment. They volunteered for HYDRA Experimentation most likely to get even. Now he's fast and she's able to manipulate minds and use telekinesis. Hence why we all experienced our greatest fear."

"Between this and the Ultron incident that the news is covering, this day just keeps getting better and better."

"Oh, it's about to get better, Agent Gonzalez." A familiar voice said over the intercoms.

Everyone froze. They all knew who it was.

"Fury." Gonzalez stated, "Where are you?"

"In the hangar." Fury explained, "Come on out, and we'll talk."

Everyone went straight there and sure enough, there was Nicholas Fury himself, adorned in his old S.H.I.E.L.D. Uniform with the leather jacket, eyepatch, and all. He was standing in front of an old-model S.H.I.E.L.D. Quinjet which had the ramp down.

"Gonzalez." Fury noted, "Good to see you're alive. How's the leg?"

"Fine. How's the eye?" Gonzalez replied coldly.

"Which one?" Fury asked, sarcastically before turning his gaze over to Coulson, "Director, nice to see you again even under these circumstances."

Coulson nodded.

"Director."

"Alright, Fury. Please tell us what you're doing here." Weaver interrupted.

"Taking back my ship." Fury stated.

"The _Illiad_ is…"

"I know the _Illiad_ is yous, Gonzalez." Fury noted, "If I did want it, I'd have taken it by now. I'm here for what the Director I left in charge promised me."

All eyes turned on Coulson.

"He's talking about the Aegis." Coulson smiled, "That's what my Theta Protocol was."

Gonzalez and Weaver's eyes widened.

"That was the first Helicarrier." Weaver breathed, "The one that later models would be based on…"

"Even so, why present yourself, Fury?" Gonzalez asked, "You said it yourself. You wanted something, you could take it."

"Because the Aegis isn't the only thing I need, Gonzalez." Fury elaborated, "This Ultron dude has apparently got a grudge against humanity, and some sources say that he's found a way to lift the entire country of Sokovia into the sky and then send it crashing down to Earth like a meteorite. Now, the Avengers are already rallied to kick his aluminum ass, but they don't have the resources to get everyone off safely once that thing goes skyward, and I only have so many men who can keep that thing flying. I'm here for recruits to stand with me and help get any innocents off that country. Specifically, I'm looking for those who you jailed."

"You're here for William's team." Gonzalez stated, "You want me to allow you to take them into a potential war-zone."

"It already is a war-zone out there, Gonzalez." Fury stated, "And considering you have nothing better to do with them, this might prove that they can still function just as good as Coulson's team can."

"Most haven't seen action for a few days." Gonzalez stated, "It would take a certain type of person to keep their morale high."

"Oh, damn. You're right." Fury said sarcastically, "Now where would I find a man who brought his team back from the brink?"

As soon as he said that, a new figure emerged from the Quinjet. He looked at the people, his face determined and proving he fit the description for what was needed.

"Alright!" Arthur Williams said, "Armature night's over. I'm taking my time and we're going to save people, whether you like it or not."

…

 _ **S**_ **o there you go! This Christmas, the gift will be an entirely NEW chapter based on** _ **Age of Ultron**_ **which will serve as how I might've done the official tie-in! And yes, for the first time in the Spec-Ops Team Fanfic, the Agents WILL meet the Avengers! Who will meet who? Feel free to speculate, but I have some great team-ups in mind! I hope you'll enjoy it as much as I did writing it and this chapter! As always, reviews are appreciated! Again, I own NOTHING but my OC's. This is for FAN-Purposes ONLY, so PLEASE don't sue!**


	12. Avenging Agents

**Hello, everyone! Merry Christmas! So here's my Christmas present to all of you! A new Spec-Ops Team Chapter with an original storyline that serves as how I would do my own Tie-In to Age of Ultron. Sorry if this chapter seems short, but the main course was a few days ago, after all. Rest assured, the next chapter will be longer and will have more twists in it. Besides, this is just a short tie-in based on how I would've done it for _S.H.I.E.L.D._ with _Age of Ultron_. This is like the desert, but I hope you enjoy seeing this as much as I did writing this. Hope you all enjoy, have a Merry Christmas, Happy Chanukah, Happy Kwanza, Happy Life Day, or whatever you celebrate! As always, I own NOTHING but my OC's. This is for FAN-Purpopses ONLY, so PLEASE don't sue.**

 _ **Afterlife…**_

Katie Sheila watched the TV in horror. She was watching as this mechanical being calling himself Ultron was apparently lifting the entire country of Sokovia into the sky using Tony Stark's Iron Legion. Katie knew this Ultron character was bad news from the moment he had apparently made contact with Lis. The news was already explaining how the Avengers were already on-site, but she knew they wouldn't be enough. Deep down in her heart she knew Arthur would be involved. If S.H.I.E.L.D. had been taken over by another misguided version of the organization she and Skye had worked for, then Arthur would more than likely be deployed into battle.

Katie shook her head. Even with the Avengers there, she couldn't be certain if Arthur would make it out alive. Skye had helped the team rescue Lincoln and now Katie had to make her case to rescue her own friends from certain death.

Walking into Jiaying's office, she found the woman sitting at her desk next to Gordon.

"I need to get back to my team." Katie declared.

The two looked at her amazed.

"Katie…" Jiaying stated, "Raina already told us that this is to be the end. I've already begun making preparations to move you and your mother to a secure location…"

"I don't care." Katie argued, "My friends are in trouble and I need to help them!"

"Even if you could." Jiaying pointed out, "What could you possibly do to stop something like this?"

"A lot actually."

Everyone turned to see Raina entering the room.

"I had another vision." Raina explained, "Only the Avengers and S.H.I.E.L.D. combined together can succeed in defeating this Ultron with zero casualties but in order to do that, they need Katie."

Katie looked back at Jiaying.

"So there you go." Katie said, "Now are you going to let me back to my team. Because if not, I'll gladly run all the way home if I have to."

Jiaying sighed. Katie certainly had her mother's resilience and never-give-up attitude.

"Very well." She stated, "You can join your friends. I just hope Raina's right."

"When is she not?" Katie asked.

…

 _ **The Aegis…**_

Arthur looked over the troops. Today was the day he proved himself to Gonzales and showed he was capable of still co-leading Coulson's S.H.I.E.L.D. His team stood amongst the troops as he prepared the address to them.

"For those who don't know," Arthur explained, "Approximately a few hours ago, the country of Sokovia began floating into the air. This is the work of a rouge A.I. named Ultron. Ultron was created by Tony Stark and Bruce Banner to be a self-serving peacekeeping system for Stark's Iron Legion. Unfortunately, something went wrong and now he's out to kill everyone. The Avengers are already on-scene there, but they need help evacuating all of the people still trapped on that floating rock. Our mission is to get everyone out of there alive and then let the Avengers take the rest from here. If you see any of these Ultron Drones, do not engage unless they engage you. The Avengers will also be there protecting everyone if necessary but we're going to rely on ourselves if we want to save everyone. Any questions?"

"Got room for one more?"

Everyone parted as Katie Sheila made her way to the front so Arthur could see her clearly. Despite the way things had gone between them in the past few weeks, Arthur couldn't help but smile at her.

"Sure thing." Arthur nodded, "Alright, let's go in and do our job!"

….

 _ **Later…**_

After the evac team had made touchdown on Sokovia, Arthur exited first to be met with Natasha Romanoff and his own hero, Steven Rogers. Arthur maintained his composure as he approached the legendary Super Soldier to explain the battle-plan.

"Captain." Arthur introduced, "I'm Agent Arthur Williams, part of the special S.H.I.E.L.D. Team led by Fury to help you out. We're going to get everyone out of here, but we need you to keep Ultron distracted until then. If you find anyone else, send em our way. Think you can keep him busy until then?"

"Agent Williams." Captain America smiled, "It'll be our honor."

"Good." Arthur nodded, turning to everyone else, "Alright, let's move!"

Before he left, he turned back to the Captain who was ready to walk off. Against his better judgement, Arthur couldn't resist.

"And Captain?" He asked.

Steve turned around and looked at him.

"It's a great honor to finally meet you." Arthur added.

Steve looked like he wanted to say something but couldn't find the right words.

"Thanks." He said, before running off.

….

 _ **Meanwhile…**_

Faye felt like there were days when she wished she could've just stayed in bed. She fired her special gun at some of these 'Ultron Drones' as she ushered a couple she had found back towards the Evac Vehicles.

"Look at you." One of the drones laughed through that creepy voice, "Like a caveman huddling to the dark sharing their toys with those who they think are worthy to have them."

Faye groaned as she reached behind her, grabbing an explosive and activating it.

"HOW'S THIS FOR CAVEMAN TOYS?!" She demanded.

She threw the explosives at the drones, as the explosion engulfed the mechanical monstrosities. When the smoke cleared only one drone was remaining with the other two literally torn to pieces. As Faye approached the last one to finish it off, the drone's eyes suddenly sprang back to life as it grabbed her by the neck and slammed her against a wall. The drone grinned as it choked the life out of her, wagging its finger.

"Uh-Uh-Uh." He taunted.

As it approached her, Jason Steele suddenly came out from around a corner with a machine gun firing rapid rounds into the neck area, trying to hit a critical point hopefully. Sadly, it was all for naught as another drone appeared and restrained him.

"Nice try." The Ultron drone laughed, "But it'll take more than that to…"

Before he could finish, there was a 'woosh!' noise and the robot suddenly dropped Faye and the other one released Jason. The two got back to their feet surprised as she saw a number of arrows protruding from the back of the drone that was holding Faye and one from the eye of the drone which had been restraining Jason. Looking up, they was surprised to see the sight of none other than Clint Barton himself.

"Nice job, kid." He said, to Jason while tipping his sunglasses, "Much more impressive than that punky speed-boy!"

He nodded at Faye as well.

"Props to you for still fighting." He acknowledged, loading more arrows onto his bow, "Now let's get a move on!"

With that, he left as the two went on to rescue as many more of the civilians as they could.

…

 _ **Meanwhile…**_

"Remind me why we're here again?" Sabrina asked, as they tallied all of the Sokovians being led onto the evac ships from far enough away to let the Evac Specialists do the work and flying.

"Because," Bruce noted, "We're the back-up support to coordinate the effort."

As soon as he said that, another drone landed in front of them, looking at the two agents menacingly.

"Then I guess I'll just have to kill both of you here now." The Ultron Drone declared.

Bruce and Sabrina were awestruck.

"But…but how did you manage to know where we were?" Bruce asked, "We changed the codes…"

"Well, I upgraded myself." Ultron chuckled, "But like my old man used to say; what doesn't kill me…just makes me stronger."

With that, he blasted at Sabrina. Bruce got in the way and pushed them both out of the laser's direction only to result in Bruce being flung forward into a wall by the impact. Sabrina just kept crawling backwards. In a desperate attempt to defend herself, she grabbed something without even knowing what it was, and flung it forward. Closing her eyes, she was surprised when she heard Ultron scream and then followed by the sound of pieces breaking. Looking up she found out why and her blood froze over. What she had thrown at Ultron was a hammer and said hammer was now lying at the feet of a long, blonde haired man with a beard wearing some kind of chain mail armor with a cape on his back. He looked at Sabrina as speechless as she was.

Nonchalantly, the man outstretched his hand and the hammer flung into there as if it knew to obey his commands. Then the man held the hammer up high as he took off at what could only be described as supersonic speed.

….

 _ **Meanwhile…**_

Katie ducked underneath another of the drones, reaching deep into her emotions to fire a heat ray which sliced the drone in two. She couldn't remember the last time she felt this good helping others, but then she saw the Maximoff girl she had heard about on the news standing in front of where they were supposed to be defending getting overwhelmed by the incoming drones. Lunging forward, Katie sent out a green construct knocking a good chunk of the drones down like bowling pins.

"Need a hand?" Katie asked as she began firing another heat burst into the other Ultron drones.

"And you are?" the female Maximoff asked, telekinetically mashing more drones into a big ball which she then flung away just as easy.

"Impressed." Katie noted, "Very impressed."

Suddenly, the Maximoff girl dropped to her knees in pain. Katie noticed two more waves of Ultron drones were coming in from both sides, so she sent out a twin heat-beam which wiped both sides out.

"You okay?" Katie asked, helping her back up.

"No." The girl admitted, shooting another burst of telekinetic energy at an incoming drone, "It's all my fault this mess happened. I thought making Stark see his greatest fear would lead to the destruction of the Avengers. Now it's spiraled out of control and I don't think I can handle much more without hurting more people in the process."

Katie looked at her sternly.

"Listen." She said, "When I acquired my…gifts, I guess… anyway…I ended up hurting people by accident too. I sheltered myself for as long as I could but then I realized today that I'm needed here. Because my friends needed me, and now all these people are counting on both of us. If we fail, we go down with a fight. We do it to help others so that even the one life we save proves we did something with our gifts. Okay?"

The Maximoff girl saw something behind Katie. She held up her palm past Katie's shoulder and fired a blast which destroyed an incoming drone.

"Thanks." The female Maximoff smiled.

"Guys!" Arthur called, "I'm pinned down here! I need assistance!"

Katie looked at her new ally.

"Think you can take care of this on your own now?" Katie asked.

The girl smiled as she brought her hands up, red energy dancing along her fingers.

"I got this." She replied.

"The problem is how I'm going to get to Arthur's location so quickly…" Katie began.

She was interrupted when she heard a loud crashing noise behind her. Turning around slowly, she was met with a large green figure with very big muscles and abs wearing purple pants.

"Oh…" Katie said, trying not to upset the creature in any way, "Uh…Hi…you…listen, I need to get to my friend."

She pointed in the direction Arthur was in.

"He's a few blocks down that way. Any chance I could get a lift."

The Gamma-Rage creature looked her up and down as if studying her before grinning in a way that Katie didn't like. Before she knew it, the creature had her in his right hand and then threw her so high she was practically soaring in the air.

"THAT'S NOT WHAT I MEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANNNNNNNNNNNNNTTTTTTTTTT!" Katie screamed, as she saw a pile of Ultron drones directly below where Arthur's signal had come from. Concentrating, Katie formed a multi-color spectral slide which she flew into, sending her down right behind the drones. As she got up, she pointed a finger at them threateningly.

"HEY, ASSHOLES!" Katie screamed.

The Ultron drones looked at her surprised.

"Get your damn hands off my friend, you metal scrap-heaps!" Katie warned.

"Interesting." One of the drones announced, "Your bio-readings appear to match those of that girl I was talking to. Except your DNA seems to hold a different ability. Perhaps an autopsy of your corpse will suffice once I bring my meteor down…"

"Yeah, yeah!" Katie said, ignoring the drones creepy talking, "I got a question for you guys. You have any nuts in you?"

The drones stopped and the one who had spoken to her cocked its head in confusion.

"Nuts?" It asked.

"Yeah." Katie answered, "Like nuts and bolts?"

"Yes, but I don't see what that has to do with…"

"Then let's get nuts!" Katie declared.

Focusing hard, Katie found the center point she was looking for and a second later, the drones exploded from the inside out with a burst of multi-colored energy. Katie imminently went over to her former SO and helped him up.

"You think you can keep going, boss?" She asked.

"You kidding me?" Arthur grinned.

…

 _ **Meanwhile…**_

Desmond was onboard the Helicarrier working with everyone to console those who were being brought in for help. Not too far away, Nick Fury was there giving orders and what not.

As he began talking with an elder man, he heard Maria Hill cry out one word.

"INCOMING!" She screamed.

With that, one of the Ultron drones smashed into the window forcing Fury to fire at it until it stopped twitching.

"Is…Is it dead?" One of the young Sokovian girls asked in their native language.

Desmond got down on one knee and took her hand lightly.

"It's all right." He told her, "Everything's going to be fine."

"My…My Mom's not here. I don't know where she is." The girl cried.

"It's all right." Desmond assured, "I promise you we'll bring her back alive."

He held her close continuing to comfort her.

….

 _ **Meanwhile…**_

Jessica wished that her prison had a treadmill now. She felt a bit out of shape but nonetheless ran as fast as her legs could carry her as the drones swarmed in from above attempting to prevent her from leading the Sokovians to the ships. Occasionally, she would turn around to fire her gun at the drones which unfortunately seemed to do nothing.

Worst yet, her luck finally seemed to run out when the drones suddenly landed ontop of her, forcing her to the ground.

"GO!" She screamed, "GET BACK TO THE SHIPS!"

The others who had been following her looked back briefly but then wasted no time as doing as they were told.

"Don't you see?" Ultron asked through his drones as they began to beat Jessica's face into the ground, "It doesn't matter in the end. Purge me from your computers; turn my own flesh against me. It means nothing! When the dust settles, the only thing living in this world, will be metal."

Jessica tried to speak, although by now she felt like her jaw was practically hanging off, and a trail of blood ran from her mouth. Her right eye was blackened, her nose broken, and there was a long cut along her forehead. Before she knew it though, the Ultron drones were quickly dismantled. To her surprise she found the male Maximoff standing in front of her with his back against one of the buildings and his arms folded.

"Sorry about me and my sister attacking you and your friends, earlier." He apologized, though Jessica couldn't tell if he meant it or was just saying it so he wouldn't have to later, "That was before I realized Ultron's idea of 'peace' meant extermination of the entire world. Now get a move on, slow-poke."

With that, he took off once more at supersonic speed. Jessica put a hand on a grenade, ready to throw it at the speedster, but decided against it.

 _Next time._ She thought.

…

Meanwhile…

AJ was riding as quick as she could through the streets in one of the standard S.H.I.E.L.D. Cars, collecting everyone she could to bring them back alive and well. Unfortunately, while she enjoyed action chases like this, she preferred when she was on ground level and not being shot at by flying drones with accurate as hell targeting systems.

As she attempted to swerve the car to dodge another blast by the Ultron Drones, another blast came from the side knocking them off the cliff. The car began to swerve out of control as AJ was sure this was the end, but at the last second, something caught the car. And the vehicle began almost flying on its own until it was parked on the S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier. AJ got out amazed to see none other than Iron Man setting the car down.

"That was some nice driving, kid." The billionaire playboy philanthropist acknowledge, "Though a bit of advice, try to stay on the road next time."

AJ was speechless so the armored avenger looked at her and then the car.

"You want a ride back onto Sokovia?" He asked.

AJ nodded.

"Get in, and please try to stay on the road this time." Iron Man advised.

…

 _ **Later…**_

Arthur was fighting off as many drones as he could when suddenly someone new appeared next to him via literally phasing out of the floor. It appeared to be a red-and-green robot with a yellow jewel in its forehead and a techno-like yellow cape. The robot also appeared to have blue techno-like eyes.

"Please watch your left." The robot explained.

With that, the robot fired a laser beam, spinning around as Arthur ducked to get out of the way.

Once the robot was done, it turned to Arthur.

"Greetings." It said, "I am with the Avengers and I am to inform you that all the Sokovians are accounted for."

"Great." Arthur said, "Thanks."

"Thank you for your assistance." The robot replied.

Arthur began running as fast as his feet could carry him as he sent out his communication to the teammates.

"Okay, everyone!" Arthur declared, "We're heading home…"

There was a sudden massive sound as the ground shook.

"DOUBLE TIME!" Arthur yelled.

…

 _ **Meanwhile…**_

Katie had heard the message via her phone when Gordon appeared and teleported her out just as the quake rocked the area.

….

 _ **Meanwhile…**_

Arthur saw the transport in sight. The rest of his team was being loaded and all that was remaining was him. Unfortunately it seemed here that his luck had finally run out as the ground suddenly disappeared beneath him.

Arthur began falling, preparing for what he assumed was the final moments of his life. But it seems that fate wasn't done with him yet as the next thing that happened was Barney suddenly appearing underneath him with none other than Blair at the wheel.

Arthur sighed with relief as he got in, taking the controls over from Blair.

It was then he saw the crater containing Sokovia start to blow up as he maneuvered Barney upwards while dodging the debris.

"I think I'm regretting this choice!" Arthur yelled.

"YOU THINK?!" Blair demanded.

Fortunately, the two got past the crater and accelerated high enough to watch as it exploded, preventing the artificial meteor from wiping out life as Ultron had intended. Arthur took a deep breath before contacting the other team.

"Guys, are you all right?" Arthur asked.

"We are." Bruce said from the communication device, "You?"

"I'm okay." Arthur acknowledged.

"Gonzalez sent me to tell you he was impressed." Blair admitted, "I guess that means you've earned his trust now."

"Guess we have." Arthur grinned.

"Katie's not here though." Sabrina stated.

"I had a feeling." Arthur noted, "But if she didn't come back, I know she's out there and it's a good thing. I think Coulson and I can talk with Gonzalez about an idea we've had."

…

 _ **Bellow…**_

Katie and Gordon crashed to the ground, but fortunately neither were harmed.

"Sorry." Gordon apologized, "It's a bit trickier to teleport under these circumstances. Now let's get you back to Afterlife and…"

"Wait." Katie pointed out.

Not far away, there was one final damaged drone trying to get away as the robot who aided the Avengers landed in front of it. The robot looked the drone up and down before speaking.

"You're afraid." The robot declared.

"Of you?" The drone asked as Katie realized this was Ultron talking, though he sounded damaged if that were possible for a robot.

"Of death." The robot answered, "You're the last one."

"You were supposed to be the last." Ultron explained, "Stark asked for a savior, and settled for a slave."

The robot gave a small chuckle.

"I suppose we're both disappointments then."

Ultron gave a weird sound that took Katie a second to realize he was laughing.

"I guess we are." He said.

"Humans are odd." The robot admitted, "They think order and chaos are somehow opposites and try to control what won't be. But there is grace in their failings. I think you missed that."

"They're doomed!" Ultron argued.

"Yes." The robot agreed, "But a thing isn't beautiful because it lasts. It is a privilege to be among them."

Those words suddenly gave Katie an epiphany. She knew what her heart was telling her to do now.

Ultron, however, did not seem as sentimental.

"You're unbelievably naïve." Ultron spat.

"Well," The robot smiled, softly, "I was born yesterday."

With that, the drone tried to lunge at the robot who simply blasted it with the jewel thing in its forehead, leaving no remains behind.

"We need to go now." Gordon declared.

"Okay!" Katie said as they disappeared.

As they did, the robot turned around, swearing he might've heard something. To his confusion, there was nothing there, and yet sensors indicated there might as well have been something not too long ago.

Shrugging it off, the robot went to rejoin with the Avengers.

…

 _ **Meanwhile,**_

 _ **The S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier…**_

As Steve worked to make sure all the Sokovians were all right, he saw Fury and approached him.

"Well done, Fury." He smiled, "By the way, where's that Agent Williams character? He did an amazing job with his team from what the others are telling me. I'd like to shake his hand personally."

Fury shrugged.

"Beats the hell out of me." He admitted.

"What do you mean?"

"Agent Williams left before you got back. Got no idea where he is now. I'm not the director of S.H.I.E.L.D. anymore, so I couldn't tell you where he left."

Steve nodded. He knew Fury was keeping something else from him.

"Well, I think we'll have something in honor of him and his team afterwards." Steve finished.

As he left, Fury gave a soft smile.

"Yeah." He said, "I bet you will."

 _ **To be continued…**_

 **Hope you enjoyed this little chapter everyone! Merry Christmas! I'll try to get the next chapter in soon, but I hope you all enjoyed. Let me know what you think in the comments. As always, I own NOTHING but my OC's. This is for FAN-Purposes ONLY so PLEASE DON'T SUE!**


	13. The Greater Good

**Hi, everyone! Happy 2016! To celebrate, I give you not ONE, but TWO Spec-Ops Teams 2 Chapters! As we begin the new year, we are nearing the end for the Spec-Ops Team 2, but before I post the Spec-Ops Team 3, I'll be posting a 1 Year Anniversary Annual Special! For now, I hope you enjoy this chapter! As Always, I own NOTHING but my OC's. This is for FAN-Purpopses ONLY so PLEASE don't sue!**

 _ **The Illiad…**_

Everyone watched the footage from Sokovia. Thankfully Arthur's team had proved themselves and even Katie had proven herself to be more of an asset than a threat.

Arthur watched as Phil threw his card on the table. The group was being watched by Gonzalez's team and May. May seemed pretty pissed that both Arthur and Coulson had kept the Theta Protocol hidden from her, but surprisingly Gonzalez's S.H.I.E.L.D. seemed more impressed with how the protocol had worked in preventing the deaths of everyone in Sokovia and on the planet itself.

"Obviously, you two and Fury had been keeping busy." Gonzalez said.

"What can I say?" Phil asked, "I'm a company man."

"And do you think I'd really leak information like that at a time when my team was going through a mid-life crisis, themselves?" Arthur asked.

"No." Gonzalez admitted, "But they proved themselves, Agent Williams. You all did. So, I'm going to let them back into your custody only because I'm interested to hear what you said that Coulson and you had to offer."

"Thank you, sir." Arthur said, gesturing for Phil to continue.

"In the past week, we've seen a lot." Phil began, "But when I found out this ship had survived while the cargo on-board was kept intact, I felt like I had failed as Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. And the truth is, I did. A coupe will make you think about things like that. I tried to do it all alone. That was a mistake. Even Fury had a world council watching over him. Providing guidance."

"What are you suggesting?" Gonzalez asked, wanting to get to the point.

"We unite our teams." Arthur elaborated, "We keep our S.H.I.E.L.D. and you keep yours. We get to operate as we've been but this time we'd have you to consult with before top-priority missions. So everybody gets what they want, nothing changes with how we run things, and we all get to be organized."

"This way," Phil added, "We get a cool underground base, and a boat."

Gonzalez nodded with a smile.

"It's hard to argue with two men who prevented Ultron from killing thousands of people." Gonzalez said simply, "There are plenty of more battles to be won and one closer to home that I fear the hellicarrier won't solve."

….

 _ **Meanwhile,**_

 _ **Afterlife…**_

Zelda embraced Katie tightly when she came to her.

"Did you see me, Mom?!" Katie asked, excitedly, "I did it! I saved them all."

Zelda pulled away and looked at her daughter seriously.

"I saw you on the news!" Zelda declared, "Are you all right?! Are you hurt?!"

"Yeah." Katie said, "Mom, I got thrown by the Hulk!"

"But now they more than likely have an idea of where the Inhumans live." Zelda pointed out, "The purpose of this place was to keep people like you a secret."

"I know." Katie nodded, "But I think it's time that we revealed them to the world."

….

 _ **Later…**_

Katie had gone to Jiaying's office to talk with her about the fact that S.H.I.E.L.D. might be on their way and why they should be treated with respect rather than fear.

Unfortunately, Jiaying was not in her office and instead was at the Shinn home. When Katie arrived, she saw Jiaying looking over the Shinn girl, next to Gordon, Raina, and Patrick as Aliselyn's computer spoke.

"It's there." The computer said.

"We need to get eyes on it to confirm it's still active." Gordon explained.

"Maybe I can help." Raina pointed out, "I've seen it before, so I'll know where it is.

"It will be easier if we're together." Gordon pointed out.

Jiaying thought about it for a few minuted before nodding in approval.

"Go." She said, "Find it."

"I'm sorry?" Katie asked, "Am I interrupting anything?"

"Katie." Jiaying said, "Not at all. Do you need something?"

"We need to have a talk." Katie said.

….

 _ **Meanwhile,**_

 _ **The Playground…**_

Jessica was training in the gym looking at the TV which was talking all about the averted crisis in Sokovia. She understood why it was better that S.H.I.E.L.D. remained dead in the eyes of the public and that the hellicarrier and teams could've just been brave ordinary men and women who dug it up, got it working again, and then used it to help save all those lives. S.H.I.E.L.D. would come back one day, but people needed to wait until the time was right for them to step out of the shadows. As she threw another hard punch, Faye entered the room.

"Jess." She explained, "We need to go. There's been a break-in on the Illiad."

"Let me just get my gear first." Jessica noted.

One quick suit-up later, Jessica and Faye were onboard one of the Quinjets and flying outwards towards the Illiad.

"So what's the problem?" Jessica asked.

"It's you, Jessica." Faye told her.

Jessica looked at her confused.

Faye just smiled as she pressed something on her head. Instantly, her face transformed into that of Maya Katrina.

Jessica quickly put the Quinjet on autopilot and threw a hard punch towards Maya. Maya parried and kicked at Jessica's kneecaps. Jessica held her ground as she managed to grab Maya's face and then slammed her into the side of the ship's interior repeatedly.

"How the hell did you find us?!" Jessica demanded.

Before she could get a response, she suddenly felt something hit her from behind, knocking her out cold. The light behind her shifted revealing Tyler Boateng standing over her wearing the light illusion belt.

"Thank Ward and Kara for that." Tyler smiled smugly looking over Jessica's unconscious body, "This is something that's been a long-time coming, Jessica."

….

 _ **Meanwhile,**_

 _ **The Illiad…**_

Arthur, Coulson, May, Ward, Bobbi, Weaver, Blair, and Gonzalez looked over the security footage of a cat-like woman with spikes covering her body and the mysterious guy with no eyes teleporting in and out after seeing the mysterious monolith that had been kept in Gonzalez's possession.

"Should've destroyed it when we had the chance." Gonzalez pointed out.

"We couldn't risk it." Bobbi reminded him.

"There were too many variables." Weaver added.

"So this is alien." May asked.

"Recovered from a dig site nearly a hundred years ago." Gonzalez answered.

"Its energy signatures are unlike anything we've seen before." Weaver stated.

"And does anyone have any idea what alien world it came from?" Hunter asked sounding rather bored as he looked at a file. "Or what it even does?"

Bobbi shot him a look as he went back to looking at the file.

"I dunno." Arthur shrugged, "It could just be some kind of fuel energy."

"No, Arthur." Blair told him, "We've tried everything. It couldn't act as a source for water, gas, oil, electricity, steam, not even tesseract energy."

"Well this new S.H.I.E.L.D. brain trust seems to be working out just perfectly." Hunter grumbled.

"If you have something of value to say, Hunter, do feel free to share it." Arthur shot back.

"Anything about it in Fury's toolbox?" Gonzalez asked.

"Just that HYDRA was looking for it." Coulson replied.

"Well now we have a new interest party." Bobbi replied.

"The question is," Gonzalez asked, "Why?"

….

 _ **Later,**_

 _ **The Playground…**_

Upon returning to the base, Arthur found a note on the wall from Jessica.

'Dear Arthur,' it read, 'Sorry. Had to take care of something important. Will be back soon.'

 _Yeah._ Arthur thought, quickly folding up the letter, _That doesn't sound suspicious at all._

"Something wrong, Agent Williams?" Gonzalez asked.

"Nope." Arthur assured.

"Well, when you're all ready to talk, let's meet in Coulson's office."

"Kay." Arthur said.

With that, he quickly went into the lab and over to Sabrina and Bruce.

"Have either of you seen Jess?" He asked.

"No." Bruce said, as Sabrina shook her head.

Arthur handed them the note and looked at them seriously.

"Analyze this and tell me what you find. And keep it between us."

….

 _ **Meanwhile…**_

Jason was making sure all his stuff was packed as Thomas came into his temporary room.

"Don't." Jason said.

"Don't what?" Thomas asked.

"Don't do anything." Jason said, zipping his bag up and putting it over his shoulder, "Don't say anything. You know what you did was wrong and I'm getting away from all this crazy crap."

"Where'll you go?" Thomas asked.

Jason sighed.

"Honestly?" He asked, "I have no idea."

"Well." Thomas said, "I wanted to say you were right. Your S.H.I.E.L.D. does stand for something good after all."

Jason began to leave, but Thomas stopped him.

"Jason, look…" Thomas pointed out, "If I need you. In case of a real emergency, can you do it? For old times sake?"

Jason sighed, rolling his eyes. He was determined to get away from all this, but with the look his brother was giving him, he felt he couldn't refuse.

"Damn it, all right." He said.

"Thanks." Thomas smiled, "Good luck."

….

 _ **Later…**_

"What's our plan of attack?" Gonzalez asked.

"Who said anything about an attack?!" Coulson demanded.

"These people are a threat." Gonzalez pointed out.

"We don't know that!" Bobbi argued.

"We don't know anything about them." Gonzalez reminded her.

"Except for the fact that they found our base and our aircraft carrier." Weaver noted.

"They could teleport into this room right now and bomb us." Agent Oliver added.

"We've seen what Skye's capable of." Weaver continued, "Lincoln could short out our entire system, and Katie could make things explode from the inside out."

"I understand your concerns." Phil agreed, "But the last thing we need is to start a war."

"Remember what happened the last time someone tried that." Arthur reminded, "We got an A.I. who decided to try and go all Judgement Day on us."

"That may be true." Gonzalez stated, "But action needs to be taken."

"Which is why we're proposing a sit-down with their leader." Phil explained.

Arthur smiled and brought up a text from his phone for everyone to see.

"Katie's already talked to Skye's Mom." He smiled, "She's willing for a sit-down and a negotiation of peace. And she's willing to do it at any time we like."

"Skye's going to be our liaison." Phil continued, "She's technically still a S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent."

Everyone nodded.

"Now's a good time to find out where Skye and Katie really stand." May noted.

….

 _ **Meanwhile,**_

 _ **Afterlife…**_

"Jones!" Raina said, running up to Nick.

"Raina, what is it?" Nick asked, concerned.

"I need to tell you something." Raina begged, "I need to tell you something that you might not believe but you have to trust me!"

"What is it?" Nick asked.

"I had another vision." Raina explained, "Afterlife was in flames, S.H.I.E.L.D. came here during a peace negotiation and hell broke loose here."

"Have you told Jiaying?!" Nick demanded.

"That's the thing." Raina said, "She starts this."

Nick looked at her confused and suspicious.

"How do I know you're telling the truth?" He demanded.

"If I was, I'd be using this for my own advantage." She explained, "But there are two people who can save us. Skye and Katie."

Nick had a suspicion that Raina was telling the truth because she would never say Skye was better than her. Still with all the stories that had been told about Raina's past, he still had some doubt.

"Let's say I believe you." He asked, "When does this happen?"

"I don't know." Raina admitted, "But when S.H.I.E.L.D. arrives, Jiaying will shoot herself and lead us into war. I needed to tell you because I felt you're the only person I can trust."

"Raina."

The two turned to see Alisha, an inhuman with the power to clone herself, standing in the doorway.

"Gordon wants to speak with you." She said.

Raina nodded but took one last look at Nick with pleading eyes. After she left, Nick sighed wondering when it would happen and if Raina was right or not.

….

 _ **Meanwhile,**_

 _ **The Playground…**_

"Agent Weaver will be with me." Phil explained, going over the plans for the negotiations, "We'll land near their main buildings here. Now I'll go in first, alone, and unarmed."

"You shouldn't be the one going in." Gonzalez explained.

All eyes fell upon him. Arthur sighed.

"As much as I hate to say it, he has a point." He groaned, "We already talked about what happened when Tony Stark was so sure he had a handle on the situation and unfortunately you and I are too close to the Inhumans."

"We're S.H.I.E.L.D." Gonzalez pointed out, "We're better than that. Or at least we should be."

"May?" Phil asked as the attention now shifted to her, "You're awfully quiet."

May sighed.

"Gonzalez should go." She said.

Phil looked surprised for a second, but nodded.

"Alright." He agreed, "I asked you to give me advice, I'd be a fool not to take it. As Director, I'll quarterback the mission from here. Gonzalez, you're on QH-236."

As Gonzalez walked to make preparations, Coulson looked at Arthur seriously.

"What's with the change in attitude?" He asked, curiously.

"We have to keep up appearances." Arthur told him, "And like I said, whether we like it or not, we're too close to this problem."

….

 _ **Meanwhile,**_

 _ **Afterlife…**_

Zelda looked at Cal and Jiaying as they had just finished discussing the plan with her. S.H.I.E.L.D. would be coming but for a peace negotiation. Zelda knew this was a bad idea as she warned them that all they would do was kill everything, but Cal assured her that they had insurance that S.H.I.E.L.D. wouldn't do that.

Because Cal was going to hand himself over in exchange.

"No offense, but did you two take stupid pills today?!" Zelda demanded, "Did you forget everything we said happened?!"

"If Cal's willing to give himself over to S.H.I.E.L.D., so be it." Jiaying explained, "It's the only way to keep these people safe."

"It won't work." Zelda pointed out, "S.H.I.E.L.D. always asks for more. Always."

"What are you saying?" Jiaying asked calmly but sternly.

Zelda sighed looking at the ground.

"Can I have a moment with my daughter?" She asked.

….

 _ **Soon,**_

 _ **The Playground…**_

"Found anything yet?" Arthur asked Bruce and Sabrina.

"No." Bruce admitted, "There might be something we're missing, I just know it."

"Well bring your notes with you." Arthur said, "We're going to Afterlife."

"Why?" Sabrina asked.

"Katie's called. They've given us a reason to come down. Apparently her Mom's agreed to turn herself over to us."

"Seriously?!" Sabrina demanded, dumbfounded.

"Yep." Arthur smiled.

….

 _ **Soon,**_

 _ **Afterlife…**_

Arthur looked down as he saw Zelda being brought out in cuffs along with her luggage thanks to some of the other agents who were accompanying the peace negotiation team. They saw Gonzalez's ship not too far away as he was meeting with the teleporter.

"Where's Katie?" Arthur asked.

Zelda just remained quiet.

"Get her on, quickly." Arthur said.

Zelda just smiled as she was lead into the interrogation room.

….

 _ **Meanwhile…**_

Alisha was watching over Raina when Katie entered the room.

"Jiaying wants you." Katie declared.

"I don't think…" Alisha began.

"Now." Katie said, forcefully.

Alisha looked at Katie for a minute but eventually left.

When she was gone, Katie shut the door and looked at Raina.

"What is it you saw?" Katie demanded, "Skye told me you saw a vision of Afterlife in flames if Jiaying meets with S.H.I.E.L.D."

"Are you a true believer now?" Raina asked.

"What if I am?!" Katie declared, "What the hell did you see?"

Raina was about to answer when a loud sound rang out. A sound that was like a gunshot. Then another.

Katie ran outside to see Skye, Jemma, May, Lincoln, and a bunch of other Inhumans converging to see Jiaying emerging from her office. A large amount of blood was on her hand which was covering her right shoulder.

"MOM!" Skye screamed, as everyone ran towards the Inhumans leader as she continued to limp her way forward.

"He tried to kill me." Jiaying said weakly, "S.H.I.E.L.D. tried to kill me."

She looked at everyone seriously.

"This means war." She declared.

With that, she dropped to the ground unconscious.

"MOM!" Skye yelled, trying to help.

Katie, meanwhile, was left torn in between. On one hand, she suspected things could go south, but she didn't want to believe that S.H.I.E.L.D. was responsible. If they were, Jemma wouldn't be here. May was obvious because she was both a good pilot and fighter. But Jemma wouldn't be brought out here if they were just here to kill them.

"What happened?!" Skye demanded.

"Gonzalez…" Jiaying said weakly, "He said we were…that Inhumans should be exterminated…He had a gun…"

Skye got up to try and leave, but Jiaying held her back.

"No…" She begged, "Stay with me, please. Gordon will take care of him."

Jiaying turned to Lincoln seriously.

"Get everyone to safety." She declared.

Lincoln nodded and imminently went to leading everyone away. However, Katie still remained where she was, unsure of what to do. While she was well-aware that Gonzalez wasn't the biggest fan of the Inhumans, this didn't sound like his style if he had met with her. If that was the case, why would he sit down first and shoot later?

Jemma ran up to Jiaying looking very concerned.

"Let me help." She said.

"S.H.I.E.L.D.'s done enough." Jiaying spat.

"Jiaying, you need help now!" Katie said, defensively.

"Katie, Gonzalez just shot her!" Skye declared.

"Stop…" Jiaying groaned, "Right now, we have more pressing concerns."

"You should get out of here." Skye told Jemma.

"Skye, let Jemma help!" Katie insisted.

"No, I'll go." Jemma insisted, leaving with two other S.H.I.E.L.D. Agents.

Soon, Lincoln returned helping Skye hold Jiaying.

"We need to get you to the doctors." Lincoln pointed out.

"Okay." Jiaying agreed.

Unfortunately as they began to help Jiaying to her feet, there was a loud roaring sound and a gust of wind. Everyone looked behind them to see a Quinjet aimed right at the once-protected city.

"C'mon!" Skye declared, "Help me!"

Unfortunately, as the four began to run, a series of rockets fired setting off explosions behind them which knocked everyone to the ground.

As everyone got back up to their feet, Jiaying looked at her daughter horrified.

"Why would you let them do this to us?!" She demanded, "I thought you and Katie were on our side!"

"Wait, we don't know why Gonzalez would shoot Jiaying!" Katie declared.

"Katie, he tried executing both me and you!" Skye remined, as if she were talking to an idiot.

"Yeah, but this time he was talking with Jiaying!" Katie added, "So why the hell would he do it now?!"

"Deception." Jiaying answered, "It's what S.H.I.E.L.D. always does."

"No." Katie shook her head, "I'm not willing to buy that. There's something else at work here, I know it."

"Kaite, we're at war now!" Skye declared.

"Yeah, but every time someone jumps into a war without knowing all the facts, innocent people die. Every. Single. Time." Katie declared, "And I realize how big of a disaster this is, but we need to look at everything before we go for an attack!"

"Jiaying!" Alisha declared, running up to her with another inhuman, "I'm sorry. Katie tricked me into leaving Rania alone with her."

Skye looked at Katie at a loss for words.

"You were talking to Raina." Skye realized, "What the hell did she tell you?!"

"You said she had another vision." Katie admitted, as Jiaying was taken away, "I was asking her about that vision. She said it apparently had Afterlife burning if your Mom met with S.H.I.E.L.D."

"Raina's been a manipulator her whole life!" Skye said, "Why trust her now?!"

"Because she trusted me to save Arthur and thanks to her vision, I did so." Katie said, "And I saved thousands of people in the process."

Before anyone could say anything else, a gunshot was heard as Katie found herself shot in the arm. The two looked in front of each other to see a S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent with a gun. Katie knew what Skye was going to do as the gun suddenly fell apart.

"Skye…" Katie begged, "Don't do this…"

Skye ignored her and through a series of martial arts, dropped the guy within seconds.

"SKYE!" May declared running towards the two, "STOP!"

"Please…" Katie cried, "Don't fight. We're better than this."

"What have you done?" Skye demanded, ignoring Katie.

"That's what we're trying to figure out. But you need to stand down." May replied.

"Stand down?!" Skye declared, "After Gonzalez just shot my Mom?! After he declared war on us?! You're the one who needs to stand down!"

"I need to see Gonzalez." May demanded, "Where is he? We can fix this."

"It's too late to fix this." Skye told her, "Take your men and get the hell out of here."

"Not until I see Gonzalez." May insisted.

She began to walk forward but was then stopped when a multispectral wall appeared between her and Skye. Skye looked back to see Katie holding her hand out.

"Please…" She begged, "No more. No more fighting now…"

Katie tried to hold the wall, but the pain in her arm was too much and she eventually fell to the ground passing out.

….

 _ **Meanwhile,**_

 _ **The Spec-Ops Plane…**_

Arthur looked over the files on Zelda. Something was wrong as he couldn't get through to anyone. Meanwhile, Zelda was doing her best and succeeding at irritating Arthur.

"Hey, Katie, you're so fine. You're so fine you blow my mind. Hey, Katie. Hey, Katie."

"Arthur!" Bruce declared, "We've looked at some of Zelda's stuff."

"And?" Arthur asked.

"Nothing good." Bruce said, "Apparently it's filled with various snake fluids."

"Seriously?" Arthur demanded, "The hell is Katie's Mom doing with those? Why would she have something like that?!"

"I don't think she had them to begin with." Bruce admitted, "I have a bad feeling that Skye's Dad gave them to her."

Arthur groaned and looked at Zelda who just gave a shrug with an 'aw, shucks' face. Arthur was not amused.

"Let me speak with her alone." He said, "And keep looking into the note from Jessica!"

….

 _ **Meanwhile,**_

 _ **Afterlife…**_

Katie awoke with a groan. Quickly pushing herself up, she checked her shoulder to see it had been patched. Looking around, Katie realized that she was still in her room in Afterlife. Then she saw the table next to her and realized there was a note on there. Looking at it, she saw it was from Nick Jones. Quickly grabbing it and looking through it, her eyes widened confirming her worst fears.

At that moment, the doors opened and Skye walked in looking at her.

"What is that?" She asked, gesturing to the note.

"It's for me and Bruce Gordon." Katie told her getting out of bed and handing the note to Skye.

Skye looked it over as her eyes widened as well.

"There's only one way to find out." Katie said, "We need to find your Mom."

"Can you even move in your condition?!" Skye demanded.

Katie jumped onto the ground swinging her arms as if she were doing stretches.

"I think I can manage." She smiled softly.

With that, the two ran out and looked everywhere. Eventually, they came to a bridge and found Jiaying standing in front of Raina. Katie and Skye kept their distance enough to listen in and see what was happening through a bush without being seen themselves.

"…and Nick Jones and I will reveal you for what you are. Even in the darkness." Raina said.

Jiaying smiled.

"No, you won't." She said.

With that, she stabbed Raina in the throat much to Katie and Skye's horror. As Jiaying pulled the blade out, she was suddenly hit with a burst of lightning. She looked to see Nick Jones stepping out of the shadows, his hand pulsing with electrical power.

"You know." He said, "I never thought I'd ever seen someone who seemed so nice as you turn evil."

Nick increased his current before Gordon suddenly appeared behind Nick. Without warning, Gordon grabbed Nick's head and twisted it resulting in a sickening crack as Nick fell to the ground dead.

"You don't get to be in this position by being nice." Jiaying spat with a venom unlike anything the two had heard before, "You make hard choices and sacrifices. Something you obviously did not understand."

Katie saw Skye's face and she knew Skye was now aware of the woman her mother was.

Slowly the two stepped out much to Gordon and Jiaying's surprise.

"Skye...Katie…" Jiaying declared.

Skye opened her hand and let some kind of necklace with Chinese symbols on it fall to the ground.

"What did you do?!" Skye demanded, "How could you?!"

"She threatened me." Jiaying said trying to defend herself.

"Yeah." Katie said angrily, "She threatened to show what a backstabber you are!"

"She knew the both of us would see this." Skye added, "She said she saw what you really are so you killed her, and you killed Nick because she told him."

"Everything I've done." Jiaying insisted, "Everything I will do will have been for the protection of our people!"

"You did kill Gonzalez." Skye realized, "Katie was right."

"You actually want a war?!" Katie demanded.

"War was inevitable." Jiaying retorted, "I struck first so we would have the advantage!"

"He came to make peace!" Skye shot back.

"Peace?!" Jiaying asked, "I built this community in the middle of nowhere so we would be left in peace! Yet S.H.I.E.L.D. found us! No matter where we go or what we do, they will hunt us down!"

Jiaying paused before looking at the two seriously.

"If we are to survive." She stated, "S.H.I.E.L.D. must be destroyed."

Skye shook her head. Katie knew the same look. It was the same look Katie had given when she met her own mother.

"What are you planning?" Skye demanded.

"I am planning for our future." Jiaying answered, "For your futures!"

She looked at Skye insistently.

"Daisy," She assured, "I won't be here forever, and when I'm gone, you must lead these people. Protect them as I have done."

"Protect them?!" Skye asked, "You killed Raina and Nick! You're leading them into a war! If they need protection, it's from you!"

"I'm sorry you feel that way." Jiaying apologized.

"I'm sorry I didn't see through you sooner." Katie retorted, her hands and body glowing with energy.

Unfortunately, Katie was then knocked out from behind by someone.

….

 _ **Meanwhile,**_

 _ **The Spec-Ops Plane…**_

"So what the hell is the plan?" Arthur demanded, "What does Jiaying really have planned for the inhumans? What are you really doing here?"

Zelda looked at him and then went back to singing.

"Oh Katie, what a pity, you don't understand. You're messin' with Arthur, not playin' with your friend. Oh Katie, you're so crazy, can't you ever see? It's Inhumans like you, Katie. And what you do Katie, do Katie! Don't break my heart Katie!"

"Then do you want to tell me what these are?" Arthur asked, holding up the vial that she had her snake fluids in, "Because I highly doubt you took this because you thought you were going to play mad scientist when we got you to your cell."

"No." Zelda smiled, "No I'm not."

She swayed her cuffed hands and looked at Arthur.

"Since you'll never have a child, I'll inform you about parenting, Mr. Williams." Zelda told him, "When you don't get a child to keep, you tend to adopt others. Sometimes you might even raise an animal. But by the time I left Katie, I realized I needed to disappear to make the world think I was dead. That way nobody would come looking for my baby girl. So I went and got myself a pet snake. I figured if I was able to learn how to control something dangerous, it'd be a useful skill for me to have. So I tamed one. And every so often, Cal would come and visit me. And then he discovered some new interesting formula to grant him the strength he'd need to protect his family. Something I needed to do especially after Katie was born and something I still need to do now. The problem was, he could never get the formula quite right. He always needed something that he was missing. But he made me a special formula. Apparently, he learned that some snakes have certain abilities that allow them to increase their strength. Like let's say for example if a certain asshole kidnaps their daughter, then if they feel the push to get their child back, they can be strong enough to do that. So he made me a formula that would allow me to do the same, without putting any nasty drugs in my body. And guess what?"

With that, she quickly spread her arms out wide breaking her restraints much to Arthur's surprise. She turned and looked at Arthur with an evil grin. Arthur had seen it before when Katie had shown him every action film where the villain gets the upper hand and begins to pummel the hell out of the hero.

"I'm feeling the push now, Agent Williams." Zelda laughed.

"Ms. DuBois..." Arthur urged, not ready to give up on Katie's Mom being useful yet.

"Do you know what I'm feeling now, Arthur?" Zelda asked, "I'm feeling pissed off, and yet so happy at the same time. Because now, I'm going to kill you for all the shit you put me through."

With that, she threw a hard punch at Arthur who dodged out of the way and left the interrogation room, making sure the door was locked behind him. However, there was still the loud sound of pounding against the metal door there.

And more of Zelda's goddamn singing.

"Oh Katie, what a pity, it really is a shame. You may be my daughter, but it seems your boss is still the same. Oh Katie, you're so crazy, can't you ever see? It's Inhumans like you, Katie! And what I'll do Katie, do Katie! I'll kill these punks, Katie!"

At this moment, Faye, Bruce, and Sabrina joined him.

"What the hell's going on?!" Faye demanded.

"Zelda took some kind of drug Skye's Dad created." Arthur explained, "I might have a plan, but I need you guys to do some things."

He whispered into Faye's ear, and then into Bruce and Jessica's as they all nodded and the three left. There was one last loud slam as the door gave way revealing Zelda with her pet snake.

"I have had it up to here." Arthur declared, "With this goddamn snake on this goddamn plane!"

"Then come at me!" Zelda invited, outstretching her arms, "Come give Mamma DuBois a big hug!"

"Better idea, hag!" Arthur shot back, "Why don't you follow me? Come fight me yourself. If, of course, you have the guts."

Zelda looked at him angrily and followed with her snake leading the way.

"You think you can run, Arthur?!" She demanded, as Arthur led her into the hangar, "My pet snake can follow you anywhere you go! It can literally sense your fear!"

With that, she followed her snake down the stairs. As soon as they got into the right position, there was the loud sound of a car speeding. The snake turned just in time before a car wheel crushed it to death. The snake hissed in pain before falling limp to the floor.

"NOOOOOO!" Zelda screamed turning to Arthur now all kinds of pissed off, "When the hell does it end, you bastard?!"

Before she could move further, Faye jumped down on her from above. Faye got her legs wrapped around Zelda's neck and forced her to the ground. Zelda kicked and struggled like a child with a temper tantrum until Sabrina appeared with a syringe. She jammed it into Zelda's neck as she started to subside, her strength slowly fading. Arthur walked up to her looking very serious.

"Now." He said, "Let's have that talk."

….

 _ **Meanwhile…**_

Jessica slowly woke up and found herself in tremendous pain. Looking down, she found herself strapped to a chair with a bomb vest on. Not only that, there were cuts all along her arm and her fingernails had been ripped off.

Looking up, she found Tyler and Katrina standing over her looking at Jessica as if she were the most impressive piece of art they had viewed.

"How the hell did you get back in?" Jessica demanded.

"You can thank Agent 33 for that." Tyler smiled, "You're probably wondering why you're here."

"I can imagine a lot of reasons." Jessica said, "Probably an excuse for another excuse in your life."

"Well," Tyler explained, "You see, Agent 33 revealed that when Katrina was taken from her real family, you were asked to save her, but you didn't."

"I had alien blood in me that was forcing me to go nuts." Jessica declared, "I couldn't stop myself."

"Funny." Katrina said, "That's exactly how I felt when I got brainwashed. And then I realized, if you had done something, maybe I wouldn't have turned out like this."

"That's why," Tyler smiled, patting the bomb vest on Jessica, "We're going to give Katrina closure. And you're going to help us do just that. See this bomb vest you're wearing is linked to a machine there."

He pointed to a door behind them where a metal box with wires was attached to.

"You can thank Arthur for giving me the idea." Tyler said, "When that door opens from the other side, an explosion will go off killing you and whoever's stupid to walk through that door."

Jessica tried moving but found she was too weak to.

"I thank you for helping us." Tyler said, "Although all things considered, if not for you, I would've never met Katrina. Katrina is the sister I have always yearned for, the family that understands why I do what I do."

"And that's why I will always stand with him." Katrina smiled.

Jessica kept trying to fight as Tyler and Katrina left.

"We'll watch who gets to die first." Tyler grinned, "This won't hurt…much."

….

 _ **Meanwhile,**_

 _ **The Spec-Ops Plane…**_

Arthur slapped Zelda and looked at her angrily.

"Tell me what the hell you meant when you said that Katie needed protection even now." Arthur demanded, "You know she's controlled her powers, I've seen it too, but there's something you're not telling us!"

He slapped her across the face hard.

"TELL ME!" He demanded.

"Okay!" Zelda cried, "Okay…the truth is…Katie's not a real Inhuman."

….

 **Dun! Dun! DUUUNNNN! So how is Katie not a real inhuman? Read the second part here and now! Hope you enjoy and as always, I own NOTHING but my OC's! This is for FAN-Purposes ONLY, so please don't sue! Hope you enjoy!**


	14. The Secret Origin of Katie Sheila

**Hi everyone! So here's part 2 of my New Year's Day present! Now it's time to learn of the true origin of Katie Sheila! Hope you enjoy! As always, I own NOTHING but my OC's. This is for FAN-Purposes ONLY, so please don't sue!**

 _ **The Spec-Ops Plane…**_

Everyone stared at Zelda shocked. Nobody said a word for a full minute until Faye broke the silence.

"What do you mean Katie's not an inhuman?!" She asked, "She went through the mist and ignoring the gaining of superpowers, she turned out just fine!"

"I have a few theories." Arthur admitted, "And I don't think I'm going to like it, but I'll leave it to Ms. DuBois to elaborate and confirm if my theory is correct or not."

Zelda gave him a look, but Arthur couldn't tell if it was one of anger, or defeat.

She took a deep breath and began telling the story she had kept to herself for all these years.

….

 _ **1993,**_

 _ **Nevada, Just Outside of Las Vegas…**_

" _All right. Here's the truth; after my first run-in with HYDRA and the discovery of Cal's wife and my husband, Cal managed to resurrect his wife, but he was unable to save my husband. That was the least of my worries. Turns out my first child, Tracy, was not an Inhuman. Furthermore, Cal did a test on me and discovered it would be pretty much impossible for me to give birth to an Inhuman child. But I didn't want to leave my husband dead with no legacy to carry on his name. So I left her at the adoption agency searched high and low for an answer until I hit rock bottom. It was about twenty years ago that I rented out a house just outside of Las Vegas when my prayers were answered."_

Zelda DuBois was driving her car back to her place. Turns out that whole 'Ancient One' rumor was just a hoax; another cruel joke played on a woman who just wanted the perfect child. But Zelda was not going to give up yet. She would travel to hell and back if it meant having the child she and her husband had deserved.

She was so caught up in her thoughts that she didn't notice a glowing yellow light approaching in the rear-view mirror until it flew overhead, sounding like a loud roaring fighter jet. Zelda slammed on the breaks and swerved into the sand before stopping the car. She watched at the object made impact and exploded not far from her house. Getting out of the car, Zelda ran over towards the wreckage and was met with a bizarre sight. There was a humanoid figure of a woman whose skin was gold with some kind of golden ponytail on her head, fighting some green lizard-skinned people with red armor that looked like they belonged in a 1960's _Star Trek_ Episode. As the woman fighting kicked the neck of one alien (causing its head to twist 360 Degrees,) the gun was knocked over to the boulder Zelda was hiding behind. The golden woman punched another alien in the chest, knocking it down, but the other tackled her and began pushing into its eyes.

Now, Zelda didn't know which side was good or evil, but after watching a lot of sci-fi as a child, she figured the scaly ones were bad so she lunged forward, grabbing the gun that had slid near her, and fired, taking the alien's head off. The robot woman looked up confused and approached her. Zelda didn't know what to do, so instead she simply handed the gun towards her as a sign of goodwill.

"Uh…" She said, struggling to find the right words, "Hi."

Before she knew what was happening, the golden woman grabbed her throat and lifted her a few feet off the ground.

"Wait…" Zelda cried, "Please…"

She then felt a prick in her neck. The woman released her hold and looked at her.

"Language Assimilated." She said, "Earth. English."

With that, she wobbled over but Zelda managed to catch her before the golden robot woman hit the ground.

….

 _ **Later…**_

It was almost Midnight when the golden woman woke up. Zelda had managed to dispose of the other aliens and somehow cover up the wreckage by managing to steal a pickup truck and then bringing it over to the little barn near her rented house. Afterwards, she made sure to imminently return the truck to where she had stolen it from. Fortunately, with the experience she had breaking and entering that she needed to learn in recent years, it was done so carefully that it was almost like the truck was never gone. The walk home afterwards was long but it was fortunate that Zelda arrived when her new 'guest' was waking up.

"All right." She said, putting on a fake bravado of courage, "Let's try this again. Who are you and what are you doing here."

"Apologies," The golden woman stated, "I am Starshine. I am part of what is known as the Space Knights; an intergalactic police force for defending the universe against other life forms who pose major threats to other worlds."

"So you're from… up there?" Zelda asked, pointing upwards.

"If by that, you mean am I an alien, then yes." Starshine answered.

"I see." Zelda said, "And you tried to choke me because…"

"I wasn't choking you." Starshine replied, "I was merely using my organic language translator which required I take a blood sample from your neck. My mobile translator was damaged in my crash."

"Who were those guys?" Zelda asked, becoming more curious to meeting an alien for the first time.

"They are the Badoon." Starshine explained, "An alien race who wish to rule over others in this galaxy. I was tracking a few of them when they somehow snuck aboard my ship and managed to disable it, forcing us to crash here."

"Yeah." Zelda said, "Well I hid your spaceship, so you won't have to worry about anybody finding it."

"Then I thank you, human." Starshine smiled, "I have been remotely scanning through some of your planet's databases. It seems as if I would have a hard time explaining to the local authorities on your world about my needs."

She sighed.

"I must repair my ship as soon as possible." She explained, "But I am in your debt. If there is anything you need."

Zelda's eyes lit up with realization.

"Listen…" She asked, "If you are from Space, do you know what Inhumans are?"

The extraterrestrial paused as if it were thinking before it looked at her again.

"I do now." Starshine replied.

"Then here's what I need." Zelda explained, "I…was married to one. He's dead now. We had a kid but it turns out I'm incapable of breeding a child that is an inhuman. So what I want to ask you is…"

"You want a machine that can create an inhuman child inside you that you can give birth to." Starshine surmised.

Zelda sat there dumbfounded.

"Yeah." She said.

"I can do it." Starshine explained, "But it will be difficult. It will require you to do things that might be against this planet's laws, and will also require sacrifice."

"I'll do it." Zelda insisted, "All I want is to keep his memory alive and not pretend like none of it happened."

Starshine looked at her and sighed.

"Very well. I will help you in exchange for help on my ship."

"It's a done deal." Zelda smiled imagining how lucky she was.

….

 _ **The Present,**_

 _ **The Spec-Ops Team Plane…**_

Everyone stood there stunned as Zelda lowered her head in shame.

"So Katie's the result of extraterrestrial genetic experimentation?" Bruce questioned, not sure if he could believe it himself.

"No." Zelda replied, "One of the first things we did was extract a DNA sample from my husband's grave so that it would technically still be his DNA rooted into Katie just as much as mine was. Everything else was done by the techo-babble that Starshine cobbled together using anything on Earth. Game Consoles, TV's, Computers, Kitchen Appliances, etcetera, etcetera. We spent months taking apart and fusing stuff together to create the machine while simultaneously fixing Starshine's ship to get her home."

"That still doesn't answer one thing." Arthur pointed out, "How could Katie still have the inhuman gene if his DNA and yours didn't work the first time?"

Zelda groaned.

"That's when things got…complicated and I secretly realized I was out of my league."

….

 _ **The Past…**_

"Good news!" Starshine declared, "The ship is almost done and the machine that will grant you your inhuman child is nearly complete."

Zelda looked at the device while eating a sandwich. She had actually gotten accustomed to how this device that was going to give her the inhuman baby worked and so she had taken shifts on her own until she hit a part she didn't recognize. Right now, it looked nearly complete. It looked like one big electrical box with a blender on the top and a keypad and computer screen fused into the side. There was also a tube from the blender which led to a robotic arm that turned into a needle.

"So what's left?" Zelda asked.

"The most important part of this machine." Starshine explained, "In order to assure your daughter will be an inhuman, I will need a DNA sample of some Kree which will ensure the inhuman gene is kept within your daughter and not lost."

"And that's not going to be easy, is it?" Zelda asked, sitting on her couch and taking a bite out of her sandwich.

"No." Starshine admitted, "The only place which appears to have a Kree, is known by your inhabitants as Area 51. Although it's considered a myth by people."

"Yeah." Zelda admitted, "But if it does exist, and it has to now, chances are it's going to be guarded."

"It is." Starshine explained, "But not just by your highest military. Digging into it, I've found that the area has been secretly occupied for years now by a race known as Skyxintri. They crashed sometime during the 1950's…"

"And let me guess." Zelda surmised, finishing her sandwich, "When a team of troops went out to check it out, they took over."

"Correct." Starshine nodded, "The reason they haven't left is because they are secretly making a profit off of the conspiracies that have taken place since then."

"So we need to find a way to break into Area 51, take down these Skyxintri so they don't come for us, and steal an alien DNA." Zelda sighed, rubbing her temples.

"I do have something that might help though." Starshine admitted, "In my research of your planet, I managed to locate a potential person to take the fall for this event. I can easily write up false intel that explains that he was the mastermind and if we get out alive, we can disappear and he will take the blame for us. But that decision is your, Zelda. Are you willing to go through with that as well?"

Zelda sighed. It was a tough decision, but she knew her answer.

"We've come this far." She explained, "We can't back down now. Tell me what his name is?"

"He's a very religious man who works as part of what I'm reading is the British navy. His name's Derek…"

….

 _ **The Present,**_

 _ **The Spec-Ops Plane…**_

"Boateng!" Arthur declared.

Zelda looked at him confused.

"I'm sorry?" She asked.

"The man's name was Derek Boateng!" Arthur told her, "Because of you, he ended up dying and now his son's a sociopath whose killed god-knows-how-many people and is out there right now doing lord only knows what."

"Actually that's what we found out." Bruce noted, showing Arthur pad device, "That note Jessica left us? It's a copy she tried to finish back when we were in Providence and she almost left us. Meaning there's only one man who would take that with him."

Arthur looked at Zelda who seemed to be realizing what her actions had wrought.

"Do you understand what that means?!" Arthur demanded, "Because of you, a good agent might be dying right now. Maybe even more!"

"I'm sorry." Zelda said, crying, "I wasn't thinking…but…"

Zelda tried to come up with an excuse, but she had none. Instead, she continued.

"Afterwards, I went out and assembled my own team who you met already. Karla, Julia, Maxwell, and Jeremy…I offered them all the money in the world for the truth behind Area 51, and the chance to be remembered forever…"

….

 _ **The Past…**_

Yagholdosh smiled as he currently held the body of Colonel Michael Typinks, 50 Year Old American-Born head of Area 51 in his human identity and in secret, an intergalactic pimp who was enjoying his Skyxintri slaves pleasure him. Most had taken the form of this world's most beautiful entertainers as ordered by Yagholdosh, as most believed they were below him unable to make decisions for themselves.

Unfortunately, at that very second, he was interrupted when one of his lieutenants appeared in the doorway. He was in his human form wearing a second-in-command military uniform and had red messy hair and worried blue eyes

"SIR!" He exclaimed, "We have a problem!"

The Disguised Colonel sighed as he got up ordering his slaves to wait for him. As they looked at the security footage currently happening outside, he was met with confusion.

"What the fu-"

….

 _ **Outside the Base Entrance…**_

"GREETINGS!" Starshine welcomed to the crowd they had drawn. Behind her, Zelda was wearing a pair of fake long pointy ears and wearing a blue shirt which had a golden rocket on there, "WELCOME TO AREA 51! I am Starshine! Alien-Translator, and I am honored to be sharing the true story of what happened at Area 51!"

…

 _ **Inside the base…**_

"GET ALL SECURITY OUT THERE!" Yagholdosh demanded, "I WANT TO KNOW HOW THE HELL ONE OF THE SPACEKNIGHTS FOUND US!"

"Yes sir!" One of the lower heads replied.

…

 _ **Meanwhile,**_

 _ **Outside the Base…**_

Julia smiled as she finished setting the bomb. She moved back and pressed the button.

Instantly, a large explosion went off, rocking the area.

….

 **Inside the Base…**

"SIR!" One of the security declared, "We've been breached!"

"Screw it!" Yagholdosh declared, "I'm calling for backup!"

He picked up the emergency phone for S.H.I.E.L.D. but was met with static so loud it made him drop the phone in pain.

"Hello?" A voice asked, as all the screens went static, "Is this thing on?!"

"Who is this?!" Yagholdosh demanded.

"I'm Jeremy Jeradson. Nice to meet you. I've disabled all your communications and security systems, so as far as anyone's aware, this is just a random attack."

"Doesn't matter." Yagholdosh declared, "We're due in for a report soon. You don't want to know about the people who will be meeting you in ten minutes from now."

"Don't worry." A voice replied.

Everyone turned to see the woman with the Spock costume from outside entering. Flanking her was another woman wearing a white tank top and jeans with shades, and a large man with a brown moustache and messed up auburn hair. All of them had trained guns on the occupants of the room.

"We won't overstay our welcome." Zelda finished as she went up and took Yagholdosh by the neck, jamming her gun into his back, "Anybody tries anything funny and the colonel here dies!"

She shoved him out of the room, only to find herself in a panic room with famous celeberties which she knew weren't really the same thing. Outside, she could hear the others firing their guns killing everyone in the room. Zelda kept telling herself this was worth it, as she suddenly heard Starshine in her communication piece.

"Zelda." Starshine explained, "I have the sample we need. Moving to your location."

"Copy." Zelda noted, whacking Yagholdosh in the head as he fell to the ground.

"One last thing left to do." She said.

"W…wait!" Yagholdosh declared, trying to fast-talk his way out of this, "I…I can make a deal with you! I can make you rich! You like money, right! It's all you ever care about…"

"Okay, just shut up." Zelda growled, "The thing is, 'Colonel,' is that you have something I need. But I can't risk anyone here knowing my identity. There's two reasons why I'm doing this and you'd better believe it's not for money. I'm doing this to give my daughter life and nobody's going to keep me from my baby girl ever again."

"W…what's the second thing?" Yagholdosh asked.

"I don't like bullies." Zelda said simply, pressing her foot down on his back and aiming for the soft spot in the back of his head, "Any last words?"

"Yes..." Yagholdosh whispered.

At that moment, Zelda fired, blowing his head open as green blood splattered out, causing the girls to scream in horror.

"Too ******* bad." Zelda replied, spitting at the ground.

The Colone's body spazzed out and suddenly his skin turned a dark grey as his fingers began longer and more suction-cup like at the ends while his body mass expanded.

As the body stopped moving, Zelda heard what sounded like a laser from outside cutting its way around the back. The girls moved out of the way as the back wall came down revealing Starshine in the jeep they had bought. Zelda turned to the girls who were cowering in fear and offered them her hand.

"Come with me if you want to live." She offered.

The girls looked unsure at first but slowly they followed until they were all piled in. Once everyone was settled, Starshine took off and Zelda hit the final detonator bomb as the second bomb exploded behind them. Zelda only prayed that nobody would rat her out after sharing her reasons for this mission. Time would only tell.

….

 _ **Later…**_

Zelda walked out wearing only the paitent's robe that they had brought a month ago. Starshine was at the controls already making final preperations for the artificial insemination. The blender glass was filled with the blue liquid that was the Kree DNA, and Starshine was placing Zelda's DNA as well as her late husband's DNA into the machine.

Starshine motioned for Zelda to lie down on the patio they brought in as Zelda prepared herself. Starshine walked over with another needle.

"This is going to put you to sleep while I work on the main procedure." Starshine explained, "This is a drug from another galaxy which gives the person taking it a dream-state of pure happiness. I can do this without an anesthetic if you like, but it'd be more painful then."

Zelda thought, but shook her head.

"I'm all right." Zelda said, "Put me under and wake me up when you're done."

"Good." Starshine said, reading Zelda's arm, "Take a deep breath."

Zelda did so as the needle went in. Zelda felt her eyes flutter and close as she exhaled…

….

 _When Zelda opened her eyes again, she found herself lying down on a grassy field with the sound of a helicopter nearby._

 _Her eyes suddenly shot open._

" _HENRY!" She screamed._

 _She quickly grabbed a gun from one of the HYDRA Agents and fired at the rotating blades. By some luck, one hit the right spot and the copter fell to the ground, just barely managing to land safely as smoke filled the interior. Ignoring everything else, she flung open the copter doors to find a guy with sandy hair in a suit with round glasses. Pushing him down to the ground, she pulled Henry out and listened for a heartbeat._

 _Nothing._

" _No…" Zelda declared, "No, don't do this to me, Henry!"_

 _With that, she imminently began with CPR. She gave him air and pushed hard until finally to her relief, Henry started coughing._

 _Zelda cried happily._

" _Henry!" She smiled, "Thank god! You're alright!"_

" _Of course, Princess." Henry smiled, holding her tight, "You saved me."_

 _The two embraced as Cal walked past them and took the guy Zelda had shoved out. Zelda suddenly noticed this as her eyes shot daggers at the man._

" _Who the hell are you?" She asked._

" _It's not important." The guy replied._

" _You break into my house, try to kidnap my husband, I think it is pretty important." Zelda warned._

" _Zelda, let me take care of this." Cal assured._

" _No." Zelda warned, "I need an explanation for why…"_

' _SPLICK!'_

 _Zelda's eyes widened as she grabbed her chest in pain._

" _AAAAGGGGHHHHH!" She screamed, "Oh god! My water broke!"_

 _Henry took her as Cal looked at him seriously._

" _Get her to the hospital and make sure everything goes smoothly." Cal explained, "I'll deal with him."_

" _Callllll….." Zelda moaned weakly, "Promise me you'll….ack….take care of him…."_

 _Cal looked at her and nodded seriously._

" _I promise, Zelda." He assured, "He'll never hurt anyone again."_

….

 _Zelda was very pleased to finally see her daughter. She only wished her parents could see this, as she was sure despite everything, they would probably want to meet their granddaughter._

 _Tracey DuBois._

" _Hello, little Tracey." Zelda smiled as Henry made funny noises, "I'm your mommy."_

 _The baby giggled and reached for Zelda's nose._

" _Excuse me?" One of the doctor's asked, entering the room followed by two police officers, "Are you Zelda DuBois?"_

" _Yeah?" Zelda asked._

" _We have some information regarding one of your friends. Calvin Zabo?"_

….

 _Zelda looked at Cal from the other side of the glass window. He had a beard now which literally made him look like the Brawny Man and he was wearing an orange prisoner's outfit. Apparently, not long after Zelda had been taken to the hospital, Cal was taking the guy to the police when he snapped and stabbed the guy to death multiple times with a fork._

" _Cal." Zelda asked, quietly, "Why did you do this?"_

" _Zelda…" Cal replied, "That guy…he killed Jiaying. That was part of why I did it, but the other…he said he was going to come after you and your kid next."_

 _Zelda's eyes swelled up in realization._

" _You killed him, for me?"_

" _For both of us." Cal noted._

 _Zelda shook her head with a soft smile._

" _Cal, say the word and I'll get you out of here." Zelda told him._

 _Cal just smiled mischievously and shook his head._

" _Sorry, Z." He apologized, "I'm not exactly behaving well here. I'm beating up a lot of people. I killed a man…"_

" _He wasn't a…"_

 _Cal shot her a serious look._

" _I need to do the time." He said strongly, "Zelda, you go. You live your life with Henry."_

….

 _Zelda tried in vain to get Tracey to go back to sleep, but it was to no avail. She tried singing, rocking her, making funny faces, but nothing seemed to work._

" _The world's best veterinarian and you can't get your daughter to go to sleep." Henry groaned jokingly._

" _Sorry." Zelda apologized._

….

 _Zelda was working on some taxes when she heard her daughter speak her first words._

" _Mom."_

….

" _Come on!" Zelda urged as Tracey took her first steps, "Come to mommy!"_

 _Tracey looked like she might stumble, but eventually she got the hang of it and made it over to Zelda._

" _Good girl!" Zelda smiled, "That's my girl!"_

….

 _Zelda was returning the cat she had been treating to her owner when her phone rang._

" _Zelda!" Henry's voice said, "You need to get back here quick!"_

….

 _Zelda exited her car and looked surprised._

" _Sonofabitch." She swore seeing Tracey floating with Henry in the air._

…

 _Zelda stood proudly looking at her daughter going off to college. She could not be any happier the day Tracey announced she was looking to become a vet. With one last big hug and kiss, Zelda watched her daughter walk off into the university. She smiled as Henry put a hand on her shoulder. She looked down at her stomach which was now on the final month of her final pregnancy. She would be having another daughter very soon._

 _Suddenly, a realization struck her._

 _Henry was dead. He had been dead for a while now and she had already accepted that there was nothing anyone could do to bring him back._

 _Her daughter was not an inhuman and she remembered this was all a fantasy inside her head, and knowing that she would be waking up any minute now._

" _It's all right, Zelda." Henry said, holding her close to him, "Your daughter will be fine as well. I'd have loved to meet both of them."_

 _Zelda's eyes began to tear up._

" _It feels like I'm killing you by leaving." She cried._

 _Henry nodded._

" _It's all right." He said, "Even if it wasn't real, you at least got to see how it could've been like."_

 _Zelda smiled softly, a light was getting brighter and she knew what was coming next._

" _Live for your daughters, Zelda." Henry told her as the whole world went white._

….

With that, Zelda woke up as Starshine looked at her.

"The process was a success." Starshine explained, "Your daughter is now growing inside you. I only ask one thing."

"Name it." Zelda stated.

"There are many beings in this universe as you have discovered." Starshine told her seriously, "Some of whom I've encountered and have known to have abilities that could potentially steal the gifts of others. Inhumans included. Your daughter must never have her genetics tampered with in that way. If she does, her powers will not be taken, but prolonged exposure will cause certain death."

Zelda nodded, feeling her stomach and feeling a small kick.

"I'll be extra careful then." She promised, "Thank you…for everything."

Starshine nodded as she exited, heading back into her ship. Halfway inside, she turned to Zelda.

"I'll see to it that the slaves are returned to their proper homes. I thank you for your assistance, Zelda DuBois. I wish you best of luck in the future."

"Thanks." Zelda nodded, "You too."

She watched as Starshine entered her ship and then the giant craft took off to parts unknown.

….

 _ **The Present…**_

"I realize now it was a big mistake." Zelda admitted, "If I hadn't been thinking of myself, I might've saved the world a lot of trouble."

She was crying a river of tears now.

"Every damn thing I love dies no matter how hard I try to salvage it." She cried, "Every. Damn. Time."

For the first time, Arthur didn't see Zelda DuBois as a monster. He saw her instead as a woman who risked everything to create what man had sought after since creation; life. Yes, she had done terrible things, but at the same time, he couldn't deny her the congratulations for assisting an alien cop on her own accord, taking down an illegal alien takeover of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s first 0-8-4 study bases, the rescue of alien beings and aiding in the return to their planet.

Finally, Arthur Williams saw the broken woman before him and did what he had for Zelda's daughter when he saw her potential.

"I'm sorry." Arthur apologized, "You're right, you've done terrible things. But you've done more good than you realize. Assisting good aliens, taking down bad ones, but above all that, you gave me someone I could confide and discuss things to."

Zelda wiped her eyes and looked at him seriously.

"Someone's interfering with your communications back from Afterlife." She explained, "Jiaying is looking into attacking some kind of hellicarrier at sea and she's going to release a vat of mists into the world. The only ones who will be left are those who are worthy."

Just then, the communications finally came through.

"Agent Williams?" Coulson's voice asked.

"Coulson." Arthur declared, going over, "Where are you?!"

"On our way to the Illiad." Coulson said, "Sorry for using the old-school frequency wave, but it was the only way to reach you. Jiaying's already there and is planning something bad. Skye and Katie are there too!"

"We're on our way." Arthur said.

"You have to take me there!" Zelda exclaimed, "I already told you what happens when someone tries to tamper with Katie!"

"And do they have anything like that?" Arthur asked.

"Yes." Zelda cried, "When Jiaying was put back together by Cal, she wasn't perfect. She had to absorb the life-force of others just to stay alive. If Daisy is as resilient as her mother and father, and I'm betting she is, Jiaying won't hesitate to use Katie to make an example out of her."

She looked at Arthur begging for the first time in what seemed like an eternity.

"Please." She urged, "Let me save my daughter. Let me prove myself and show you I'm not a monster to you people."

Arthur sighed. It was the same situation he had faced when he had stopped his mother. He was outgunned, outmanned, and needed to make a hard decision. But Katie's mom had proven that she wasn't the monster that everyone thought that she was.

Arthur looked at her and nodded.

"Alright." He said, "You're in."

 **So there we go, everyone! One more chapter left and then another break before the Spec-Ops Team 3 with a special one-shot in-between the wait to hold you over. Hope you enjoyed and get ready for the last chapter!**

 **Will Arthur and Co. be able to help stop Jiaying?!**

 **Can the Spec-Ops Team also save Jessica and stop Tyler?!**

 **Can Zelda prove herself as not being the monster she claims she's not?!**

 **Can the other members help save the day?!**

 **I promise the last chapter will feature ALL the OC's who have not been killed yet! Some will live, some will die. Things might not be the same as they were in the finale though, so keep an eye out for that! Until then, please remember to leave your reviews and thoughts, but no flames please! As always, I own NOTHING but my OC's. This is for FAN-Purposes ONLY, so please don't sue!**


	15. Resolutions

**Well, here we are everyone! The final chapter for The Spec-Ops Team Season 2! I hope you enjoy this and be warned, some will die, some will live, and there will be twists and deviations from the S2 Finale you might not expect. I'm also excited to say that in addition to having the one-year anniversary fanfic nearly ready (which I will share a bit more info about at the end,) and being ready to begin work on the Spec-Ops Team 3 Outline, many have asked for what the characters might actually look like. Well, I'm happy to announce that this February I will be traveling to Portland, Oregon for the Wizard World 2016 Convention where I will meet Matt Smith (the Eleventh Doctor and also my favorite of all the Doctors from _Doctor Who_ ,) Jennifer Morrison (From _Once Upon a Time_ and played Captain Kirk's mother in the 2009 _Star Trek_ remake,) and (drum-roll please,) Agent Simmons herself, Elizabeth Henstridge! Yes, you heard correctly! I'm about to meet Simmons! I'll be seeing her Sunday where I plan to cosplay as Arthur Williams and get my photo with her which I will upload for the fanfic's profile photo! So with all those cool announcements out of the way, I hope you enjoy this chapter! Special thanks to all the fanfic writers who submitted their OC's. I also forgot to mention a few, but I'll make up for it now here. Thanks go to MagatsuIza (Michael Weis), The Cloud Lady (Sepember Lindon who makes her debut here,) FITZSIMMONSFAN (Kiera Smith,) also the character of Adira Lester was an OC submission but I can't find who gave it to me so I apologize but thank her and if she wishes to contact me so I can correct this, feel free to do so. You all have been so great with your support even when I lost most of my data on my laptop, you guys stuck with me and I really appreciate that and hope you'll enjoy this final chapter until the anniversary story and then the long wait till the sequel! As always, I own NOTHING but my OC's. This is for FAN-Purposes ONLY so PLEASE don't sue! With that said, please enjoy!**

…

 _ **Somewhere Near the Bermuda Triangle…**_

Jason was flying back to Britian when there was a call coming in on his communicator that Thomas had given him.

He answered it looking confused.

"Thomas?" He asked.

"Jason!" Thomas's voice said quietly, "Thank god!"

"What is it?!" Jason asked, concerned, "Why are you so quiet?!"

"I need help!" He explained, "The Inhumans have stormed the _Illiad_. We need your help! I've uploaded the coordinates to your phone and I…"

He paused.

"Hold that." He noted, "I gotta go."

"Wait, Thomas!" Jason called, but it was too late.

Looking at his phone, Jason read the coordinates and sighed. He didn't know if this was another trick or not, but it was highly unlikely that Thomas would make something up now.

So Thomas turned around and headed to the _Illiad's_ coordinates.

…

 _ **The Illiad…**_

Katie groaned as she got up slowly. To her surprise, she found a familiar looking blonde haired green eyed girl with freckles all over her face.

"Rose?!" Katie asked.

She tried to get up but found that she was chained to a pipe behind her. Katie tried burning through it only to discover that she was handcuffed to there. Additionally, she was wearing what appeared to be gloves similar to the ones which had been created for Skye to help suppress her powers.

"It won't work, Katie." A voice said, as a new guy walked next to Rose who Katie recognized as Max Jerry, an inhuman who could block other abilities.

"She doesn't even know you!" Max said, "You might as well give up and accept what's going to happen. It's how she was able to also replicate the gloves Skye has which apparently stop her powers. So even if you were able to take me out, you still wouldn't have any abilities."

"No." Katie argued, "Rose's a fighter, and I know she won't give up just like I won't."

"I don't even know you!" Rose argued.

"I guess that's because of Jiaying." Katie explained, "Do you even know the kind of woman that she is?!"

"Of course," Max replied, "She does everything she can to protect us."

"Including murder." Katie retorted.

"Even if we wanted to help." Max replied, "There's no one who would believe you."

The next thing that happened was that there were two shots heard and the two captors fell to the ground revealing Thomas Steele behind them.

"Don't worry." Thomas assured as he took the key out of Rose's pocket and freed Katie, "They're just unconscious."

"I would hope so." Katie replied, rubbing her hands, "Who are you?! What's happened?!"

"My name's Thomas Steele." Thomas quickly explained, "These inhumans have taken over the carrier."

"Wait!" Katie realized, "Aren't you Jason Steele's brother?! I thought you were dead! And who else is still alive?!"

"I am and it's a long story how I survived." Thomas said, running with Katie out of the room and locking the door behind them, "I don't know who else hasn't been captured!"

As they turned a corner they literally bumped into Skye and Mack who looked just as surprised as they were.

"You two alright?!" Mack asked.

"Yeah." Katie nodded, "What's going on?"

"We sent out a message to Phil." Skye explained, "He's on his way and I assume Arthur is as well."

"We might need to send one more thing." Thomas explained, "There's some pretty powerful Inhumans I saw and they might need a bit more to be prepared."

"Unfortunately once we sent out the signal, everything went dark on my laptop." Skye explained.

"Aliselyn." Katie realized.

"Who?" Thomas asked.

"She's an Inhuman girl who has the ability to traverse the internet or anything technological much like Ultron did." Katie explained reaching into her pocket to find what she was looking was still there thankfully, "Except I might have a way to beat them. See, the note that our late friend Nick Jones had included a special phone that'll make it impossible for Aliselyn to miss this. It might've been left on record, but I think we have everything we need to convince her to help."

…

 _ **Meanwhile…**_

Aliselyn was working on keeping all further communications on the _Illiad_ save for the SOS Signal Jiaying was using blocked when suddenly a file appeared in her field of vision. Except it wasn't trying to be sent off the _Illiad_ , but rather stay there like a signal.

"What is it, Lis?" Patrick asked, curiously.

"It's a file…" Aliselyn's computer voice said, confused, "It's a file with my name on it."

"Be careful if it's a virus." Patrick reminded her, "After the thing with Ultron."

"Patrick, I'm ready." The computer voice said as Aliselyn opened the file, "After all, how bad could it…"

Suddenly an audio file came up and some familiar voices could be heard.

"… _and Nick Jones and I will reveal you for what you are. Even in the darkness." Raina's voice said._

There was then the sound of something being stabbed and then pulled out, before an electrical sound could be heard with Jiaying's voice screaming in pain.

" _You know," Nick Jone's voice replied, "I never thought I'd ever seen someone who seemed so nice as you turn evil."_

There was another burst of electricity heard before a sickening snap of the neck was heard and then a voice which made both of the Shinn's blood go cold.

" _You don't get to be in this position by being nice." Jiaying spat with a venom unlike anything the two had heard before, "You make hard choices and sacrifices. Something you obviously did not understand."_

There was a pause before Jiaying spoke again.

" _Skye...Katie…" Jiaying declared surprise._

" _What did you do?!" Skye's voice demanded, "How could you?!"_

" _She threatened me." Jiaying said trying to defend herself._

" _Yeah." Katie voice said angrily, "She threatened to show what a backstabber you are!"_

" _She knew the both of us would see this." Skye added, "She said she saw what you really are so you killed her, and you killed Nick because she told him."_

" _Everything I've done." Jiaying insisted, "Everything I will do will have been for the protection of our people!"_

" _You did kill Gonzalez." Skye realized, "Katie was right."_

" _You actually want a war?!" Katie demanded._

" _War was inevitable." Jiaying retorted, "I struck first so we would have the advantage!"_

Patrick looked in the screen in shock. Aliselyn felt a tear in her eye. Before she had gone through the mist, she had wondered if she would end up evil, and this proved it.

"This has to be a S.H.I.E.L.D. Trick." Patrick said, trying to deny everything.

"No." Aliselyn's computer voice said, "This came from Nick Jones's phone. He must've given it to Katie and Skye before he died. He knew what was going to happen."

Patrick couldn't deny that logic. It was true then. Jiaying really was a monster and they were helping start a war that neither wanted to be a part of.

"Patrick." Lis's computer said, "Let me die."

Patrick's eyes widened as he kneeled down and looked at his sister.

"Lis, no!" Patrick assured, "We can't do this! You're better than this!"

"I'm not." Aliselyn's voice said, as her tears streamed more, "I'm helping to kill people."

"Aliselyn!" Patrick assured her, "I admit I don't trust S.H.I.E.L.D. but we know the truth about Jiaying. We need to do something about it. You told me before the transformation that you wanted to help people, remember that?"

There was a pause as Aliselyn flicked her eyes upwards indicating that she did remember.

"Then we have a chance to do that now together." Patrick reminded her, "Are you with me?"

…

 _ **Soon,**_

 _ **The Spec-Ops Plane…**_

As the plane followed the other Quinjets, Arthur was in the middle of briefing the only people left at The Playground via the communications.

"So it's just you guys?" Arthur asked Desmond.

"I'm afraid it's just me and AJ." Desmond admitted

"Okay." Arthur said, quickly tapping some buttons, "I'm sending you the flight pattern that we traced and sending you an asset who will help in getting her back. You two up for it?"

"Yes." Desmond replied.

"Good." Arthur noted, "Notify me as soon as you get out of there."

"Will do." Desmond said, signing off.

As soon as he did, there was a voice heard over the intercoms.

"This is S.H.I.E.L.D. 218 ordering all other forces save for the Spec-Ops Plane to fall back. Repeat, all other forces save for the Spec-Ops Plane fall back. Agent Williams, prepare your away team."

Arthur nodded, leaving as he suddenly bumped into Zelda who had apparently changed clothes and was wearing a S.H.I.E.L.D. Trainee Uniform not unlike how her daughter had when Arthur met Katie.

"You know." Zelda noted, "I wish that Katie had told me about the cool suits sooner."

Arthur had to stifle a laugh, and instead brought his phone out and showed Zelda a photo. It was of Katie and Arthur together about a few days after they had stopped Arthur's mother. Katie had gotten her suit repaired and had one arm around Arthur while he had one around her as they both smiled. Zelda looked very approvingly.

"When I first met Katie." Arthur admitted, "She was a street-girl, living on her own with only her will to help her go on. I learned how broken she was and then helped teach her impeccable manners and super-spy skills and she taught me how to not do every mission by the normal S.H.I.E.L.D. guidelines. She changed my life in a way I might not ever be able to repay her for."

Zelda nodded approvingly. She now realized how Arthur Williams wasn't the man who she thought had stolen her daughter, but helped support her as any parent should.

"You really helped my daughter when she had nothing." Zelda said, "You gave her everything I couldn't."

"Not entirely true." Arthur admitted, as he motioned for her to follow him, "There was something I wish I could've supplied to her sooner."

"What's that?"

"Her real mother."

Zelda nodded approvingly. As they descended into the cargo hold, Arthur's phone went off and he looked at it surprised to see it was from Katie.

'Arthur.' It read, 'Beware of these guys!'

With that, there were some photos of different people. One was a tall young man with short, dark brown hair and blue eyes. Another of a very pale woman with white hair and blue eyes.

"Know these two?" Arthur asked.

"Katie's smart to inform us about them." Zelda noted, "The guy's named Michael Weiss. He's apparently got Mind-Wiping and altering powers. The other is Adira Lester, same sort of deal for her."

"Great." Arthur said sarcastically as they reached Barney where Sabrina and Bruce were waiting, "So what do we do?"

Zelda sighed.

"Ordinarily I'd have my pet snake take care of things," Zelda admitted, "But since you took care of it, I guess I'll have to take care of those two, find Jiaying, and see if I can make up for my past sins."

"We're really doing this?" Bruce asked, "Bringing her along, no offense."

"I got Katie into this mess." Zelda assured, "I'm going to make up for it. And for all of you as well."

"Okay." Arthur stated, showing them the photos, "So Zelda will take care of these two. If you should happen upon them, turn and run. We're going to go and piggy-back off of Phil's team. Remember, if we find any crew, free them and send them back to Phil's Quinjet. Once Agent May's disabled the ship's functionality and given us the A-Okay, we can worry about Katie."

"Agent Williams." Phil's voice said through the communications, "Think you can spare yourself for helping me prevent an outbreak that can kill everyone on the carrier?"

Arthur looked at Bruce and Sabrina.

"Only if Bruce and Sabrina can assist May." Arthur noted.

"Good." Phil said, "The more the merrier. See you in the ventilation room. Agent May will meet with Bruce and Sabrina upon landing. Good luck."

Arthur nodded and turned the phone off.

"Just one thing." Zelda asked, "Can I drive?"

Arthur looked at her and simply shook his head no.

"Ah." Zelda nodded, "Well, it was worth a shot."

They all piled in as Faye released the hangar door and Arthur drove Barney out which he flew onto the carrier where May was waiting for them. As they got out another Quinjet landed and out stepped Jason Steele.

"Hey." He greeted.

"Jason what are you doing here?" Arthur asked.

"Thomas asked for me." Jason said, "I've been trying to reach him for hours until I just finally gave up."

Arthur looked at May who was staring at Zelda who simply gave a sly smile and friendly wave. Melinda didn't seem to mind or just didn't care for Zelda but simply stared at Arthur before nodding at Bruce and Sabrina to join her. As his two teammates left, Arthur nodded to Jason.

"Go find your brother." He said, turning to Zelda, "You take care of those two Inhumans. I'll go and help Phil."

"Right." Jason nodded, "But why is she with you now?"

"I'm your backup." Zelda simply replied, walking off."

…

 _ **Soon,**_

 _ **At the last known location of Jessica Smith…**_

AJ and Desmond touched down next to where the stolen Quinjet was. As they entered the stolen Quinjet, they unfortunately found something inside. There was a large amount of blood on one side of the wall, and then a trail which lead out of the Quinjet and towards parts unknown.

"I think it's safe to assume that Jessica didn't make it out all right if she's not here." AJ told Desmond.

Desmond nodded trying not to think about what Jessica might be going through.

"So where are they?" AJ asked.

"They're in an old factory not too far from here." A new voice declared.

AJ and Desmond turned to see a new person walking up the ramp of the stolen carrier towards them. He was a tall, athletic man with a well-built body and a muscular physique. He had tanned olive skin, dark brown hair and deep blue eyes, wearing a standard S.H.I.E.L.D. Operative Suit and gear.

"Name's Franco Adessi." Franco introduced shaking their hands, "I'm your contact."

"I'm Desmond Amartey." Desmond introduced, "This is Alice-Jane Worthing."

"Please." Alice smiled, "Call me 'AJ.' So you've seen thee place then."

"Yes." Franco nodded, "Unfortunately it seems that Tyler Boateng has gotten complete control over it and is keeping Jessica Smith hostage in one room."

"He's my cousin and Jessica's my girlfriend." Desmond admitted.

Franco was quiet for a few minutes, but nodded.

"I uh…I tried taking him in when he fled to his Mom's." Franco admitted, "It didn't work as planned."

"I know. I read about it." Desmond assured, "But right now, all I'm concerned with is making sure Jessica gets out of this all right. So tell me how we approach this."

"Hate to say it but Tyler's got cameras at the front door so he'll know where you are as soon as you enter." He explained, "What's more is that he has Jessica in a room with a bomb at the door entrance. You open that door and you both die."

Desmond groaned. It felt as though Tyler had gone out of his way to make this difficult for them.

"Got any ideas?" He asked.

Franco smiled.

"As a matter-of-fact, I do." He grinned.

…

 _ **Soon,**_

 _ **Inside the Factory…**_

Tyler watched the security cameras with Maya as Desmond and AJ began to enter the factory slowly. The two were hiding out in a panic room so they could see the factory and learn who would die first.

"Well." Tyler said, "I can't say I'm too surprised Desmond came. I know how much he cares for Jessica."

Before Maya could respond, there was a crashing noise from the monitor in the room where Jessica was being held. Then all the electronic devices went silent, and the cameras just started showing static.

"What happened?!" Maya asked, very concerned.

"Don't know." Tyler admitted, loading his gun, "Go check on Jessica. I'm going to go around and try to ambush them."

"Okay." Maya said, as Tyler left through the back-exit.

As Maya re-entered the room with Jessica in it, a large rock was smashed through the window which hit Maya right in the head knocking her unconscious. Jessica looked amazed as the ground outside rose above and a new figure entered the room.

"Hey!" The guy said, unlocking her restraints, "My names Franco Adessi. Remember me? You called me when you guys were under attack."

"Yeah." Jessica said, as he freed her from her restraints, "So what's the plan?"

"Well." Franco admitted looking at Maya's unconscious body, "You're not going to like it, but it's the only way we'll have a distraction to allow us to get out of here."

…

 _ **Meanwhile…**_

Desmond and AJ were checking the rooms when Tyler suddenly turned the corner knocking AJ with the butt of his gun in her face, sending her to the ground. Tyler quickly switched his gun around to point at Desmond who simply grabbed the gun out of Tyler's hands and punched him in the face. As Tyler staggered back, Desmond grabbed his head and repeatedly hit it against the side of the door.

"THIS. STOPS. HERE!" Desmond ordered.

However, Tyler simply kneed him in the face with his elbow causing Desmond to stagger as Tyler brought out a hunting knife.

"You still stand with them after all this!" Tyler declared, "WHY?!"

"Because you're sick, Tyler." Desmond explained, "And you have to be stopped before you really hurt someone!"

With that, Tyler screamed as he swiped his knife at Desmond who side-stepped out of the way twice. Tyler tried thrusting it into him, but Desmond dodged and grabbed Tyler's arms, trying to push him back. However, Tyler delivered an almighty headbut which caught Desmond off-guard and allowed Tyler to stick his knife in him.

Desmond looked in shock while Tyler looked at him angrily. Tyler then looked behind him confused.

"Wait." He realized, "Where's AJ?!"

"She's safe." Jessica explained, entering the room while holding a gun to Maya's head and using the other hand to hold both of Maya's hands behind her back, "It's over, Tyler. We're leaving."

"No…" Tyler growled, going for a gun.

However, as he did, Franco stepped out from around the corner and flung a medium-sized rock at him. Tyler smirked wondering if this was really the best Arthur had to spare, but suddenly Maya kneed Jessica in the gut and ran to get in front of the way. With Tyler distracted, Jessica ducked under and grabbed Desmond quickly moving him out of there.

With that, Maya was now in front of the rock as the electricity finally came back on. There was then an almighty explosion from the rock which Maya took full-on, which the force of the explosion sent Tyler back against a wall in the nearby room. Tyler didn't know how much time had passed when he came to, but then he saw Maya horribly disfigured from the explosion. Due to taking the blast full-on, Maya now had half her face ripped off, all four of her limbs were blasted away, and she was impaled in five different places due to various debris and parts of the rock which Franco had managed to hide the bomb in.

"No!" Tyler declared horrified, "No! No! No!"

He ran over and knelt down to Maya who was crying and trying to smile at him weakly.

"T…Tyler…" She wheezed.

"Maya, stay calm!" Tyler urged, "Don't leave me here!"

"Ty…I…remember it. I remember my past." Maya said, weakly as she tried to laugh, "Roger Smith never took away my ability to have children…"

"Of course he didn't." Tyler assured, "Just focus on me."

"No…" Maya explained, "Before he kidnapped me…I had an incident with a boy I loved. I was…I'm pregnant."

Tyler felt all the blood in his body go cold. He felt like he had been punched in the chest and cut harder than any blow that had been given in his life. This measured up on his failures in life right next to the death of his own mother.

"I must be three months into my pregnancy…" She wheezed, "I guess it doesn't matter now. I think you would've made a good…godfather…though…"

With that, Maya's eyes rolled up into the back of her head and she went completely limp.

"Maya…" Tyler said, not wanting to accept that he had not only lost the closest thing to a sister, but the chance to be the closest thing to a parent himself, "Maya no! Don't do this!"

He cried cradling her body close to him completely forgetting about the escaping agents.

Finally, he laid her body down as his face suddenly turned hot red and mad. His jaw clenched and fists were so tight that his fingernails might have been digging into his hand. Tyler gave out a screams that sounded like something between a mighty war-cry and an anguished wail.

S.H.I.E.L.D. had crossed the line. If not for them and not for Arthur Williams, none of this would have happened and Tyler would've had happiness that he would never truly know now. An epiphany suddenly dawned on him. He had been at this alone with Maya for too long. He needed help in planning and he realized who he could turn to who had enough guidance and who shared an equal hatred for S.H.I.E.L.D. as well.

….

 _ **Meanwhile,**_

 _ **The Illiad…**_

Zelda turned a corner only to find Michael and Adira there. Before she could move, the world suddenly dissolved and she found herself kneeling on the ground in front of her dead husband, who had just recently been cut into many pieces thanks to Whitehall. Zelda was overwhelmed with sadness when Henry's hand shot up and grabbed her neck. Henry suddenly stood up though his eyes were black with no other features. Suddenly, another hand shot up from the ground and pulled themselves up revealing them to be a dark haired girl who looked to be around 13. Zelda knew who she was.

"You failed." They both said in unison.

"You failed to protect me because you were weak." Henry said.

"You failed to protect me because you thought I was worthless." Tracy said.

"No…" Zelda cried, shaking her head, "No!"

Just then, a foot stepped in front of her and she looked up to see Katie with the same eyes.

"I know one day the same will happen to me." Katie said.

Zelda's tears were now flowing faster.

"You're right." Zelda cried, "It is my fault."

She reached to her side and felt her gun that Arthur had supplied her with was still there. Upholstering it, she concentrated and fired twice. Suddenly, the location, Henry, Tracy and Katie disappeared and Zelda found herself back on the carrier with Adira and Michael lying on the ground before her unconscious.

"But I have a chance to make things right." Zelda finished, "Gotta also remember to thank that monk I met that one time for showing me how not to trust my surroundings."

"Zelda."

Zelda turned around to see Jiaying with two other Inhumans carrying a box which Zelda assumed were full of Terrigen Crystals inside.

"Ah, Jiaying." Zelda smiled, "Just the woman I was looking for."

"Please don't tell me you were the one who turned Cal against me." Jiaying sighed, as if she didn't want to deal with this now.

"I can assure you that whatever Cal's doing, it's on his own accord." Zelda answered truthfully, "But if he's turned against you, he's right. You've changed, Jiaying. And I only wish I could've stopped you sooner. I admit I was heartbroken when I found out that Cal was already married, but I accepted it and you became almost like an older sister to me. But now, you're out of control, and you need to be stopped."

Jiaying shook her head, not wanting to believe it.

"Look at you." She declared, "Standing with them. You've betrayed your own daughter, and you've spat on your husband's grave. If Henry were here now, he'd be disgusted."

"No, Jiaying." Zelda corrected, "If my husband was here, he'd be disgusted with what you're doing and ask me to do one thing; protect my daughter."

Zelda was about to fire when the Anderson girl stepped from around the corner and shot a fire blast at her which Zelda had to dodge out of the way from to avoid. When she looked back, however, Jiaying and her people were gone.

"Well, shit out a brick." Zelda swore, hurrying off to see if she could find them.

…

 _ **Meanwhile…**_

Arthur had finally met up with Coulson and Fitz who were entering the ventilation room where Mack was keeping guard with an axe in his hand. Looking back at the two, he looked honestly surprised at them.

"The hell took you so long?!" He asked.

"It's a big boat!" Phil explained, "With four signage."

"Well I got this guy popping in here trying to get at these crystals." Mack explained, as Fitz took out a device and began setting it up "If he breaks them…"

"Everyone's a statue." Phil finished, "We heard. Fitz?"

"On it." Fitz replied, hurrying to make sure everything was ready.

"So what's this thing going to do?" Arthur asked.

"Hopefully." Coulson explained, "It'll stop this teleporter long enough for us to nail him."

He turned to Mack and handed him a gun.

"Here." He said, "Take this."

"Thanks." Mack noted, "But I'll stick with the Axe. If it ricochets, it'll be bad, and trust me you won't miss. But seriously, what are those things?"

"Quantum field disruptors." Fitz said, setting up another plate on the wall, "It should contain him when we get back."

"Of course." Mack said, "Why didn't I think of that?"

"That's okay." Fitz assured, "You're not a quantum physicist. It's completely understandable."

"Jiaying's not the only one who can set a trap." Phil noted, taking a large wrench as Arthur took a nearby spare pipe, "I batted four-hundred in Little League. Agent Williams, what's your score again?"

Arthur spun the pipe in his hand, and looked at Phil.

"Let's see if we can top that." He suggested.

….

 _ **Meanwhile…**_

Katie was looking over Lincoln's unconscious body as Thomas stood next to her. After they had helped ensure Skye's secret message got through, Mack had knocked Lincoln out without realizing he had second-doubts about Jiaying's leadership. Katie opted to stay behind until Lincoln got up so she could assure him of what happened.

"So why are you staying behind?" Katie asked Thomas.

"Because it's the right thing to do." He assured.

Katie nodded.

"Thank you." She said.

"For what?" Thomas asked with a raised eyebrow.

"For having faith in me." She explained.

"I'm a bit more of a trustworthy guy." Thomas assured, "Gonzalez was too if you knew him better."

"I had the feeling he wasn't all that much of a hardass if he was willing to show up to a peace-talk with Jiaying." Katie noted.

Suddenly, Lincoln began to murmur as he slowly got up.

"Good, you're awake finally." Katie said, helping him up and pulling out the phone that Nick Jones had left her, "Now before you start attacking again, I've got proof of how S.H.I.E.L.D.'s not the bad guy."

Before Lincoln could ask how she got the phone from him, Katie played the audio recording she made of Jiaying's betrayal starting from her confession.

" _Skye...Katie…" Jiaying declared surprise._

" _What did you do?!" Skye's voice demanded, "How could you?!"_

" _She threatened me." Jiaying said trying to defend herself._

" _Yeah." Katie voice said angrily, "She threatened to show what a backstabber you are!"_

" _She knew the both of us would see this." Skye added, "She said she saw what you really are so you killed her, and you killed Nick because she told him."_

" _Everything I've done." Jiaying insisted, "Everything I will do will have been for the protection of our people!"_

" _You did kill Gonzalez." Skye realized, "Katie was right."_

" _You actually want a war?!" Katie demanded._

" _War was inevitable." Jiaying retorted, "I struck first so we would have the advantage!"_

Lincoln tried thinking up of an excuse, but knowing how Jiaying had told him that Raina and Jones would not be joining them and considering the fact that Katie showed him was recorded shortly before they left Afterlife for the carrier, there was no denying the truth now.

"Please." Katie begged, "You need to help us. You've seen the truth now."

"So what is it going to be?" Thomas asked, "Help us or fight for a cause that's no longer relevant?"

Lincoln sighed and looked at Katie.

"Give me your hands." He said.

Katie did so. Lincoln sent out two electrical bolts from his hands and the gloves came off, freeing Katie.

"Jiaying's planning to take some of the crystals off the carrier." He explained, "You might want to head to the top of this ship now if you want to stop her."

"Thanks." Katie nodded, leaving as quickly as possible.

"What can I do to help?" Lincoln asked Thomas.

"Well, I guess we can go to the control room and try to retake the carrier there." Thomas suggested.

"Lead the way." Lincoln assured.

The two began crossing hallways making sure that there were no nasty surprises around each corner on their way to the control room. As they turned a corner, they suddenly ran into Jason who looked surprised to see them both.

"Jason, you're all right!" Thomas smiled, giving him a hug.

"Yeah, thanks." Jason said, gesturing over to Lincoln, "So what's the deal with him?"

"I'm on your side now." Lincoln assured.

"Gonzalez was innocent." Thomas explained, "Katie had a recorded confession of her so he's going to help us take back the carrier starting with the control room."

"Okay." Jason said, "Then let's…"

At that moment, Thomas saw something behind Jason. There were two more of those redheaded clone girls that had been storming the carrier pointing guns at them. Without missing a beat, Thomas pushed Jason out of the way as the two fired. Jason could only watch in horror as Thomas was shot once through the heart and the other through his stomach.

Lincoln threw two electric bolts which hit the two attackers and they went down. Jason meanwhile, cradled Thomas's body.

"Thomas!" Jason declared, "Don't do this to me, dammit!"

Thomas just smiled weakly.

"Sorry, Jason…" He said, coughing up some blood, "But at least I did something right."

"Please, Thomas." Jason cried, "I'm sorry I said those things."

"I'm sorry too." Thomas smiled, "But please…help them…"

With that, Thomas closed his eyes as Jason held him close.

"I'm sorry." Lincoln assured.

Jason said nothing as he held Thomas's body in his arms and took him over to a nearby closet which he then locked. Jason would ensure that Thomas had a proper burial later but right now, they needed to finish what Thomas started.

"Let's go." Jason said seriously, walking off as Lincoln followed.

…

 _ **Soon…**_

May was finishing beating-down another Inhuman as Bruce and Sabrina followed close behind. As she finished, Bruce and Sabrina looked up worryingly.

"Crap." Bruce swore, "May?"

May looked to see Lincoln approaching and got into a defensive position.

"It's all right." Lincoln assured, "I'm not here to hurt you."

Arthur's teammates looked confused, while May simply raised an eyebrow yet still kept her defensive position.

"You're not?" She asked.

"He's willing to help." Jason said, turning the corner to join them.

May got up.

"If this is a trick…" She warned.

"It's not." Lincoln replied bluntly.

"All right." Sabrina nodded, "Let's continue on our way then."

…

 _ **Meanwhile…**_

The three agents waited tensely with their blunt weapons ready, while Fitz stood by with his pad ready for what was coming.

Finally, Gordon teleported in behind them and grabbed Phil before punching him in the face, sending Phil to the ground.

"Sneaky son of a…" Phil began as Mack tried bringing the Axe down on him, only for Gordon to teleport away.

"I hate this guy." Phil declared.

"No argument here, boss." Arthur agreed, helping him up.

"Fitz!" Mack urged, "Hurry the hell up!"

"Yeah!" Fitz assured, I'm almost there! I need a…"

"Fitz, NOW!" Phil ordered as Gordon teleported back into the room.

With that, Fitz tapped his pad and the lights on the machines went off as Gordon teleported again causing Mack's axe to phase through him. However, an electrical charge was set off which hit Gordon as he continued to phase in and out of the same place repeatedly. Phil then went over and knocked him in the side with his wrench, sending him to the ground.

"I'm trapped in here." Gordon said, surprised and hurt at the same time, "That's not possible! What did you do?!"

Fitz simply grabbed another spare pipe and said two words to Gordon.

"Science, bee-yotch!" Fitz replied.

"Looks like it's batter up, Director." Mack said.

With that, they all started to whack Gordon repeatedly. Eventually, Gordon pushed Phil away and kneed Mack in the chest. Arthur took this opportunity and whacked Gordon from behind, as a bleeding trail appeared along the back of his head.

Arthur got out of the way for Phil to make the next move but suddenly Gordon teleported out and Phil's weapon met Mack's.

Suddenly, he appeared in front of the crate, but Fitz whacked him in the chest, sending him back to Phil who got him in a chokehold with his weapon. Unfortunately, Gordon teleported out as Fitz was closing the box and appeared behind him. There was a stabbing noise as the three were worried that Gordon might've killed Fitz. Fortunately, Fitz side-stepped revealing that he himself had actually stabbed Gordon.

Before anyone could say or do anything, Gordon's hand opened up revealing he had taken one crystal which began to fall. Coulson was ready to go but to his surprise, Arthur dived in first as the crystal left Gordon's hand. Arthur outstretched his left hand and caught it successfully before he hit the ground.

Everyone looked at him amazed, but then horrified as Arthur's left hand began to turn to stone. He looked up at the Director with eyes of regret.

"I'm sorry, boss." He apologized, "Take care of Katie for me. Tell her I'm sorry."

Coulson was horrified. Coulson had been in the same position Arthur had when he brought the Avengers together. But now, he wasn't going to let this happen again. Especially not to someone as good as Arthur.

As Arthur closed his eyes, Coulson turned to Mack but didn't need to say anything. Mack simply brought his Axe down on Arthur's hand, cutting it off as he screamed in pain.

…

 _ **Meanwhile…**_

Bruce and Sabrina were taking cover trying to get at a door where the rest of the agents were left behind. Behind them, Lincoln, May, and Jason were trying to fight off the rest of these clones from the red-headed Inhuman girl. It was going all right but it was starting to get monotonous as the clones just kept spawning and spawning. Skye had been there, but after Lincoln had freed her restraints, she had left to try and help stop Jiaying.

Meanwhile, Bruce was getting frustrated as none of the codes seemed to work. Not even the spare decryption gadgets seemed to help.

"They're gonna keep coming." May told Lincoln.

"Not if I take out the source." Lincoln assured motioning towards the Alisha standing on the upper platform with both hands on the rail.

Jason pointed a gun at her, but Lincoln lowered it and looked at him with assurance.

"They're not bad, they're misled." He explained.

Jason nodded as Lincoln went over to a metal pole and electrocuted it. The current was sent through towards the rail Alisha was holding onto electrocuting her and sending her to the ground as the clones around them fell.

"Impressive." Jason noted.

With that, they went over to Bruce and Sabrina.

"It's no use." He groaned, "They must've changed the code."

Lincoln fired another electrical shot and the door opened. The group prepared themselves for the fight only to be surprised when they found the agents inside with the clones on the ground. Standing in front of the agents in the room was Kiera Smith holding two batons and Blair Praetor holding a gun.

"Oh," Kiera explained, "You made them all fall?"

"You managed to keep them all alive?!" Jason asked honestly shocked.

"Yeah." Kiera nodded, "With some help from Blair of course."

"Huh." Lincoln said, honestly surprised.

…

 _ **Meanwhile…**_

Katie sighed with relief as she saw that these stairs were finally leading to the front deck. It had been the equivalent of a nightmare maze from hell to navigate this place and she had mentally slapped herself for not asking how to get to the top first. Additionally, she had tried quickly looking for anything she thought might've been of value to hold onto, but found very little if anything at all. Fortunately, these signs were now leading her in the right direction and she could finally help stop Jiaying from hurting anyone else.

As she approached the door which was beaming with light from outside, Rose Anderson quickly appeared in the door and shot a stream of fire at her with one hand. Katie managed to get a protective light shield which absorbed the energy and then backed down the stairs as Rose kept up the assault.

"I can't let you stop her." Rose explained as she followed Katie down the stairs.

Katie groaned as she rushed forward her shield managing to absorb the energy. Quickly reaching into her emotions, she turned the absorption shield into a yellow light burst which Rose started to have trouble pushing back against. Eventually, Katie saw her give up the fight, feeling a bit weaker. Katie then ran up to her and then grabbed Rose's head, slamming it into a nearby stair rail and knocking her unconscious.

"Sorry, Rose." Katie apologized, putting on the same gloves that Katie had been wearing herself when she first got here and then cuffing her to the rail. "But I promise we'll try to help after this."

Once finished, Katie ran up to the deck to see Jiaying holding her head on Skye while the other two inhumans were loading a box of what Katie only assumed to be more crystals onto a nearby quinjet. Suddenly, there was a very loud rumbling and the area shook violently. Reaching into her powers, Katie shot out two multicolored streams from her hands which hit the quinjet which looked like it was ready to tilt over. Focusing hard, Katie screamed as she concentrated further and the quinjet was pushed off the _Illiad_ and into the water below thanks to Katie's power and from a well-placed blast of energy from Skye. Katie breathed heavily feeling like it took a lot of energy out of her to help push it over. When she regained her composure, she saw Jiaying still grabbing Skye's head trying to suck the life out of her, while Skye seemed to be using her powers to supposedly break every bone in Jiaying's body (by Katie's assumption.) The problem was that Skye was looking extremely pale and seemed to have difficulty breathing, so Katie did the only thing she could think to do and tackled Jiaying. Unfortunately it might not've been the smartest thing because she was still a bit woozy from the aftershock so Jiaying managed to grab her head at which point, Katie screamed in pain. She felt her body was burning and that every molecule in her body was beginning to split at a subatomic level. To her surprise though, Jiaying released her and backed away looking like she was both in pain and confusion, as a trail of blood began to run from her nose. Katie looked down at her nose and saw it was bleeding as well.

"You…you're not inhuman." Jiaying stated, surprised.

Katie looked shocked. She wasn't inhuman? How could this be possible? Katie survived the mists and her biological father was an inhuman, so why was Jiaying accusing her of this?

Suddenly, Jiaying's face started to fix into a realization.

"Zelda…" She said, "So I guess that's what she did when she left my husband."

With that, she grabbed Katie's head and continued her assault as Katie screamed in pain unable to concentrate with the pain raging through her body, as the blood continued to run down her nose even faster now.

"S.H.I.E.L.D. may have stopped my plans." Jiaying stated, "But I'll be damned if I am taken in without taking something from them!"

Before she could do anything else, she felt someone grab her neck and pull her back, releasing Katie who looked amazed at what was happening, as she tried to regain her strength.

"Cal…" Jiaying wheezed with sadness in her voice, "What are you doing?"

"Protecting my family and friends." Cal said, sounding like he was ready to do something he wasn't going to like.

"Cal."

Everyone turned to see Zelda walking towards him, a determined and serious expression on her face.

"Zelda…" Cal begged, trying not to look her in the eyes, "Please…just go…you don't want to see me as a monster."

"Cal." Zelda explained, "I've known."

Calvin looked at her surprised.

"I've always known what Jiaying was capable of, and I didn't say anything because I was afraid of what would happen when you found out. That makes me just as great a monster as you."

"Zelda..." Cal said, amazed.

"I've done worst things in the past few years that I couldn't talk about." Zelda admitted, walking close to him, "Because they hurt me and I punished everything around me because I couldn't take what I became. I left you because I was worried that you wouldn't see me as a friend again even in your most desperate times of need. But now…"

She stopped to place her hand over Calvin's which was currently holding Jiaying's neck.

"Now you don't have to suffer alone." She admitted, "Because you're my friend, Calvin. And I'll always be there for you from heron out."

Cal gave a soft smile and looked at the ground.

"Thank you." He sighed.

Zelda nodded.

"What happens now is not out of cruelty, but it's to save others despite what it'll cost us."

Cal nodded and the two closed their eyes. With that, there was a sickening snap as the two twisted Jiaying's head around and she fell into her husband's arms dead. Cal began to cry holding his wife's lifeless body close, as Zelda held him tightly as well. No matter what happened, she would try to help him recover and redeem both of them for everything they had caused.

….

 _ **Later,**_

 _ **The Playground Medical Lab…**_

Katie sat in front of Arthur's lifeless-like body. As soon as Cal and Zelda had their time to mourn, she found Arthur unconscious and missing his left hand now. Katie was extremely worried since after hours of medical surgeries, Simmons and Sabrina had told her that they did all they could but Arthur was in so much pain when his hand was removed that he was now in a coma and would only come out if he chose to which was really unlikely at this point.

"Arthur…" Katie said, putting her hand on the arm missing his hand, "Arthur…it's me, Katie."

She sighed.

"I know what I said to you was wrong, Arthur." She replied, "I thought I could learn the truth about myself without you being involved. But now that I have all these answers to my life…I…I just have more questions about where I go from here. I thought if you weren't involved you wouldn't get hurt, but now…"

Tears began to constantly spill from her eyes as she looked at his body.

"Dammit, Arthur, don't leave me!" She cried, "I can't live in a world where you don't exist! You're the only person who cared for me through and through and I don't know the kind of person I'll be if you're not here with me anymore. So please, Arthur Williams; just wake up."

Katie heard the door open and looked to see her mother standing in there.

"I came to pay a visit and say a prayer." She explained, "I can come back later if you need space…"

"No." Katie said, in an assuring tone, "Feel free."

Zelda nodded and walked up to Arthur's comatose body and began saying a silent prayer. When she was done, she looked at her daughter and sighed.

"Katie…" She told her, trying to find the words, "There's something you should know…"

"Jiaying told me." Katie said, without any anger, "I'm not a real inhuman."

"No." Zelda answered, "When Calvin and I first restored Jiaying, we learned that your older sister wasn't an inhuman. I couldn't have a child with that gene and as a result, I wasn't allowed into Afterlife anymore. I was so upset because I didn't want to raise a child and pretend that everything I had seen, your father included, was all made up. So I searched the world for answers and then one night, an alien came to our planet who I helped out for a favor where she agreed to make a machine that would impregnate me artificially and genetically manipulate the seed to ensure that the baby would be an inhuman no matter what with no problems. That was how I had you."

Katie listened as her mother looked away.

"In that time I lost track of who I was and from what Arthur told me before we got to that carrier, I inadvertently ended up making someone named Tyler Boateng an agent of HYDRA who I understand caused you so much trouble recently."

Katie was shocked, but nodded. Her mother seemed to have learned everything she did was wrong and not in the name of good, so she didn't need to be ridiculed.

"I did worse things after that." She added, "I left you alone at an orphanage hoping I could retrieve you and your sister later because I was afraid that if someone in HYDRA knew I had a second daughter, they might suspect something when that daughter might one day display strange signs. But nothing worked out I suppose. I took the path of darkness and ended a monster. And now the one person who actually could look after my daughter might not even be getting back up again."

With that, she buried her head in her hands and cried. Katie gave her mother a hug to which she gave one back.

"Shh." Katie soothed, "You're not a bad person Mom, and something good did come out of having me."

She pulled away so her mother could look at her.

"Without you having me born," Katie said, "Arthur might not've been the same man and would've probably been worse than what you thought he was. For that Mom, that was worth it to save Arthur Williams and I'd do it all over again just to tell him that."

Zelda nodded. After a few minutes of silence, she finally spoke.

"I'm very proud of him for what he's done for you." She said.

With that the two hugged. Suddenly, Katie heard the heart monitor beep a bit faster and turned to look amazed. Arthur's heartbeat was picking up. Then she heard him moan and slowly rise up.

"ARTHUR!" She screamed happily, hugging him tightly, "YOU'RE ALIVE!"

"Katie…" Arthur groaned, "I'm happy to see you…but…I'm not exactly ready for hugs yet!"

Katie pulled away and looked sheepishly.

"Sorry." She apologized.

Arthur nodded and turned to Zelda.

"Thank you." She said, "For being the figure my daughter needed when I couldn't be there."

Arthur nodded and the two shook hands.

…

 _ **A few weeks later…**_

Jason looked at the tombstone of his brother. Per his request, Thomas had been laid to rest right next to his girlfriend's tombstone. He had given a drink in honor of Thomas before the funeral which had been uneventful, but Jason had stayed out of it because he didn't want people asking where he had been and instead gave the request under a pseudonym of a high-military authority thanks to Arthur's help.

As he looked at the tomb, he sighed.

"Hey, Thomas, Lauren." He stated, "How are you?"

He waited before continuing.

"Yeah." He continued, "I know. I'm still trying. But I'm going to aim to be the man you both wanted me to be. Someone with a sense of honor, justice, and stands by the ideals we learned no matter what."

He took out two roses and laid them next to their graves.

"I'll miss the both of you." He stated.

With that, he turned to see Arthur approaching. The best eye of S.H.I.E.L.D. looked almost better had it not been for the recent surgery that was done on his left hand. Arthur was wearing a long black trench coat with shades, and black boots and gloves, but underneath his left glove was a robotic hand that looked like a cross between the normal prosthetic hands given out to patients at hospitals, and something Tony Stark would make for one of his Iron Man gloves.

"How's the hand?" Jason asked.

"It'll still be something getting used to." Arthur admitted, "Never being able to truly feel something again. But then again I hear rumors of a blind lawyer who seems to know everything he's doing and everything going on around him, so what are you going to do?"

Jason shared a soft chuckle with him before he asked another question.

"How's everyone else?"

"Alright." Arthur admitted, "I let Zelda keep her memories so as to help Cal stay normal. It was her decision, and from what I understand, she's doing just fine. Katie's putting together a new team with Agent Johnson, Director Coulson, and myself. We've actually gotten a few new members on our team including that Inhuman girl who could travel the internet with her mind, her brother, and another new Inhuman named September Lindon, who can turn intangible. Hell, we even have two of Gonzalez's people joining us. Kirea Smith and my old friend Blair."

"I heard that S.H.I.E.L.D. tried to get you two to date." Jason pointed out, "From what I understand, it didn't work out."

"No." Arthur admitted, "And she's still mad about that, but we're taking it slow and smoothly. We'll see where it goes from there. Speaking of taking things slow and smoothly, Faye is going to take a well-deserved holiday with Jessica, Desmond and AJ; Franco, Alice, and Sabrina, and Bruce are looking over that monolith with Fitz and Simmons. We still don't know what's out there so we have to be prepared for anything."

"So Rose and Desmond are all right then?" Jason asked.

Arthur smiled softly.

"Desmond is all right. He had to go through some physicals but he's no worse for wear than Harrison Ford was after his recovery from that crash in his plane." Arthur noted, "He's all right."

"And Rose?" Jason questioned.

"She's all right as she can be." Arthur said truthfully, "Jiaying's people did a number on her, so we're going to be putting everything we have into reminding her of who she really is. It won't be easy, but she's showing small steps of progress which we hope will improve in the days to come."

"And what about Ward and Tyler?"

Arthur sighed.

"Another thing we have to keep a close eye out for." He admitted, "I have an unfortunate feeling I know what they're going to do. They've lost everything and HYDRA's lost their leaders as well. So I think it's inevitable they've discovered they're better when united than working separately against us. There's a power vacuum out there for leadership of HYDRA now and I have a bad feeling I know which ones are going to do everything they can to make it to the top. It wouldn't be the first time people have used an opening to fill a void left behind in the wake of a great war. Plus, I don't think it'll help with the fact that we murdered someone else that Tyler cared for."

He looked at Jason.

"Listen." He said, "The real reason I wanted to meet is that I assume you've had your fill of us. So I suppose I'm just here to say goodbye, and thank you. For everything you've done."

Jason nodded.

"Actually, this is more of like a hello." He pointed out.

Arthur looked at him surprised.

"I've decided that I'll keep working for S.H.I.E.L.D." Jason told him, looking at the grave of his brother and his brother's girlfriend, "It's what they would've wanted. Besides, with all the disasters going on, I think you might need an extra hand or two."

He looked at Arthur's prosthetic hand awkwardly.

"Uh," He quickly said, "No pun intended. Obviously."

"Obviously." Arthur smiled.

He nodded before giving Jason his prosthetic hand to shake.

"Then welcome to S.H.I.E.L.D." Arthur replied, shaking Jason's hand.

…

 _ **Meanwhile…**_

Tyler walked into the bar where he heard Grant was in. Sure enough, Ward was there along with three other guys.

Ward looked to see Tyler and gave a soft smile. Tyler couldn't tell if he were drunk or not.

"See that man?" Ward asked the bald tan guy next to him, as Tyler closed the door, "He's gone through hell and judging by the way he is now, I'm sure he's not going to be too happy to hear you aren't doing anything to destroy S.H.I.E.L.D."

The man walked up to Tyler acting smug and superior. Tyler ignored every minute of it as his hand clenched close together.

"And what about you, friend?" The guy asked, "You throwing a hissy fit over loosing someone you loved? A bit of a squeeze like Grant Ward's girlfriend to plow continuously?"

Tyler responded with lightning-fast reflexes, pulling out a new knife he had recently brought and stabbing the bastard right through the eye. The guy looked surprised as Tyler put his foot on the guy's knee and knocked him to the floor dead, leaving his eye impaled on Tyler's blade. Tyler simply flicked the eye off and then without missing a beat, shot the bartender just as he was reaching for the phone.

Tyler made sure to step on the eyeball and crush it hard as he approached Ward.

"What happened?" Ward asked, genuinely concerned.

"Arthur." Tyler spat, "He killed Maya. Turns out she was pregnant with her boyfriend's baby. I was going to be a godfather, Ward. I was going to be able to be as close to a parent as I could be, but now…"

"I'm sorry." Ward said, sympathetically putting a hand on his shoulder, "Which is why I promise you; you and I, we're going to kill Arthur and Coulson. They're both going to die. We are the new heads now."

Tyler nodded as Ward turned to the others.

"You understand who you work for now?" He asked.

They all nodded.

"Good." Ward said, "I'm done flying solo. I miss having a team around me. I want more names."

"Hail HYDRA to that." One of the guys said, "What's the plan, sir? Cash?"

Ward simply looked at the photo of Kara before saying one word.

"Closure." He told them.

…

 _ **Meanwhile…**_

Katie smiled as she entered the bar where her contact said she'd be at. Following close behind her was their latest recruit, September Lindon. September was a girl around 21 with a slight, willowy build with shoulder-length blonde hair, hazel eyes, and had pale skin with freckles. Funny thing about September was that she had once been a S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent, but it was before Katie's time and no one really seemed to notice her. Sometime later in life, she was introduced to some Inhumans while on a mission who told her of her destiny and she left without a single word.

Now she was back in S.H.I.E.L.D. after learning of Jiaying's true deception only this time September had powers that allowed her to have intangibility. Though she had passed the approval, Agent May's husband had informed Katie that September seemed a bit too reliant on her powers, as if they were her only option. So Katie had taken it upon herself to give September a quick lesson she recently learned.

"So why are we here?" September asked.

"You'll see." Katie assured.

Finally, she found the two people she was looking for. Sitting at a table for two was Katie's Mom and Cal who were having drinks and laughing.

Katie's mom suddenly noticed her daughter and smiled.

"Honey! I was wondering when you were going to show up!" She said, "Dr. Winslow, this is my daughter, Tracey!"

"Good to meet you, Tracey." Cal smiled, shaking Katie's hand as he clearly did not remember her thanks to the T.A.H.I.T.I. protocols, "Princess here has been telling me a lot about you. You're doing your mother proud."

Katie smiled.

"Thanks." She said, "Can I talk with her for a second?"

"By all means." Cal assured, "Though we're leaving in about an hour. Gonna see this new movie about dinosaurs and theme parks, and then continue work on our Vet Clinic. It's going to be a real magical place."

"You'll see her again." Katie joked, "Don't worry."

With that, they walked over to a corner where Cal was out of hearing distance before talking.

Zelda looked at September as if studying her.

"So Katie tells me you're becoming too reliant on yourself." Zelda noted.

"Yeah." September noted, "But I can become intangible! I can't be hurt."

"I once thought the same as you." Zelda assured, "I tried thinking I couldn't be hurt and I didn't even have any powers, but luck which helped give me a daughter. But my luck came at a cost, believe me."

She sighed.

"If I hadn't come to my senses in time, we might not have even been having this conversation now." Zelda assured, "And it took my daughter and her teammates to realize that. They're the real tools you'll need, trust me. They're people who will care for you no matter who you are or what you are. Understand?"

September nodded, understanding what Zelda meant.

"Good." Zelda said.

"You can wait in Barney." Katie assured.

September left as Katie stood looking at her Mom. It was then that Zelda noticed Katie had the necklace with her father's ring still around her neck.

"You still kept this." Zelda smiled.

"You kept your old name." Katie replied.

"No." Zelda assured with a sly grin, "I'm Princess DuBois now."

The two laughed, and then sighed.

"Well," Katie shrugged, "I should be off then. See you when I can."

Zelda nodded and gave her daughter a hug.

"I love you." Zelda told her daughter.

"I know." Katie smiled.

"Go on out there and save the world." Zelda grinned.

Katie nodded and left as Zelda went back to keep her promise to look out for Cal.

….

 _ **Meanwhile,**_

 _ **The Playground…**_

"So what did that letter that Nick Jones gave to Katie say?" Sabrina asked.

Bruce sighed.

"It told her about Raina's vision." He explained to her, "And then he also wanted her to tell me that he was wrong and that he was sorry that things turned out the way it did."

"So you forgive him?" Sabrina asked.

Bruce looked at the floor.

"He was the one who got me into S.H.I.E.L.D. in the first place." Bruce admitted, "He might've kept his secret from me, but I'm glad he came around in the end."

Sabrina simply nodded as the two got back to work on helping Fitz and Simmons.

Bruce, Sabrina, Jemma and Fitz were continuing to study the Monolith with no success.

"No, I don't." Jemma declared, to Fitz, "You keep rambling on and on and I still don't know what you mean."

"Dinner." Fitz repeated.

"First time and we'll eat it, I'm sure!" Jemma assured.

"No." Fitz told her, "I know, but me and you…maybe we can eat somewhere else."

Jemma looked at him surprised.

"Somewhere…nice." Fitz suggested.

Jemma looked at him at Bruce and Sabrina knew they would get back together now.

"Oh." Jemma said.

Fitz smiled but accidently pushed against something on the glass case as he quickly recomposed himself.

"Good." He said, "Okay. Uh…you can keep working here with Bruce and Sabrina and I'll start looking into options to run by you. For that." With that, he left.

"Let me go get my notes." Bruce said, "I feel like there's something here we're missing."

"Sure." Sabrina smiled as Jemma rolled her eyes jokingly.

With that, the two locked lips and Bruce left the room as well.

"So are you and Fitz back together then?" Sabrina asked.

Jemma smiled softly at her before looking back at her work.

"We'll have to see." She told her.

As Jemma placed something down, she and Sabrina heard a noise from inside the Monolith. As Jemma went to check and open the glass door. Sabrina saw that the monolith was beginning to curve into an arc. For whatever reason, Sabrina instantly leapt up to knock Jemma out of the way.

Unfortunately, Jemma had opened the door, but before she knew it, Sabrina had already pushed her out of the way and was now standing in front of the monolith.

"Jemma-!" Sabrina began.

But she got no further. At that second, the monolith changed into a liquid-like form, which then busted out of the glass room and then grabbed Sabrina.

"SABRINA, NO!" Jemma screamed as she tried to grab her hand.

Sadly, Jemma was not quick enough as she just managed to brush her fingers against Sabrina's. With that, Sabrina found herself being dragged back by the liquid. Sabrina made one last attempt as she was dragged into the glass case, she attempted to grab hold of the handle, and try to pull herself out of this substance. Unfortunately, all she managed to do was grab the door and close it in, trapping her inside with the unknown object. The substance then swallowed her completely before reforming back into the monolith just as quickly and leaving Jemma sitting there, horrified.

At that second, Fitz and Bruce showed up again, looking very concerned.

"Jemma!" Fitz declared, holding her as Bruce looked at her with equal concern, "What happened?! We heard screaming!"

"Jemma, where's Sabrina?!" Bruce asked.

Jemma looked very sadly at the monolith as Bruce's eyes widened in fear.

"No…" He declared.

"It…it just swallowed her up and then reformed… I couldn't….she pushed me out of the way…." Jemma tried to say.

Having heard enough, Bruce went to the door, ready to open it before Fitz and Simmons held him back. They wanted to know what happened as well just as badly and help reunite the two, but it unfortunately looked like they needed more info before they could proceed. Bruce tried to fight, but couldn't as he was pulled back.

"SABRINA!" He screamed.

….

 _ **Elsewhere…**_

Sabrina fell and landed on rough ground. Looking up, she saw that it was a night sky but with a giant planet looming overhead.

She looked behind her to see a wormhole closing.

"No!" She screamed, lunging in vain and watched as the thing folded in on itself.

Looking up, she saw her worst fears were confirmed. Above her was a sky and planet she did not recognize. She had been transported to another world she didn't know about and thus wept feeling like she'd never get home ever again.

 _ **To. Be. Continued.**_

 **Well? What did I tell you? A couple of twists and turns have happened for sure now! And oh yes, did I freaking go there! So in Spec-Ops 3, we will see how Sabrina deals with being on the alien world and a fair warning, something might happen that will be probably one of the most shocking twists to ever happen for both this fanfic or for any AOS story out there either official or unofficial! Plus, we'll learn how Arthur copes as a one-handed contender now, and Katie's plans with Skye to build a team of Secret Inhumans. Hope you all enjoyed! There's going to be a break now, but don't worry as I'll have the 1-Year Anniversary Story up soon entitled 'The Spec-Ops Team: Other Lives.' Hope you've enjoyed and let me know what you thought in the comments! As always, I own NOTHING but my OC's. This is for FAN-Purposes ONLY so PLEASE don't sue!**


	16. Behind The Scenes

Hi, everyone! Welcome to the Spec-Ops Team 2 Behind The Scenes Extra which takes a look at the thought process which went into making the sequel as well as the ideas behind the Spec-Ops Team: Other Lives One-Shot and a look at what's to come.

First off, when I knew I was doing another story, I knew I would have to focus on the Inhumans. Fortunately, I always had the plan to make Katie an Inhuman as well as the fact that her mother would be a classic Marvel Villainess to be a counterbalance to Calvin Zabo. I was always a fan of Princess Python and realized she had much potential for a Marvel TV Series or Netflix Series. However, I also decided to give her a bit of a modernization much like AoS gave Cal because the whole 'Circus Performer thing' might not have fit as well in this continuity. As such, my version of Zelda DuBois is a veterinarian thus explaining how she knows about snakes and taming them. Afterwards I went about on creating her motivations for protecting Katie. Most of it came from my own mother, during a time when I was really sick as a child and she did everything she could to help me which thankfully worked out in the end. Zelda in this version is the idea of a person who is willing to go to more extremes and darker places that my family would never go to, just to ensure her child was perfect which is ultimately what made me decide to make her a genetically-manipulated Inhuman, grown in the womb artificially to ensure she'd have the correct genes to become Inhuman but at the cost of other people's lives. Other influences for my take on Zelda DuBois included the late great Betsy Palmer who played Pamela Voorheese in the original Friday the Thirteenth films, and a bit of the insane lightheartedness of Christian Bale's Patrick Bateman in 'American Psycho.' While we're on the subject of inspiration, people have often asked me who should portray the Spec-Ops Team Main Cast if they were on-screen. I honestly have no answer for that, but if this version of Zelda DuBois were put on film or TV, I could see one actress playing that role; Carrie Fisher. In addition to being an instantly recognizable name, Carrie is a wonderful mother and animal lover in real-life. And if you look at her in Blues Brothers, you can see she plays a psychopath on-par with her Star Wars co-star Mark Hamill.

Another thing I thought about instantly was what Katie's powers would eventually be like. I decided on light-based powers because Katie is a big ball of light to both important parental figures in her life. To Arthur, she's the embodiment of the best that a person can become through effort and good spirit, meaning that there's a brighter future for those people. To her mother, Katie is the embodiment of the light at the end of a very long and pitch-black tunnel that she's had to travel along for years.

For Katie, "Season 1" was her triumph of greatness. Helping to save the world and learn the value of helping because it's the right thing to do was the equivalent of Luke Skywalker using the force to blow up the Death Star in Episode IV. So naturally "Season 2" was kind of a mix of "The Empire Strikes Back" and "The Dark Knight Rises." Here, Katie's life is suddenly shattered and everything is flipped on its head. She finally learns the truth of her parents and her history, but it's not at all what she wanted. Katie's Dad is dead and her mother's a very disturbed woman who believes kidnapping her daughter and forcing her into some kind of transformation is the best thing for Katie, whether she likes it or not. And that's only the tip of the iceberg for her. After learning this, Katie accidently murders and loses her friends, kills people she doesn't mean to, and is forced to accept that these powers of hers cannot be taken away permanently. However, by persevering through her life, Katie is able to rise from the darkness and regain control over her life once more. As we'll see next season, Katie will become more focused in using her abilities and actually learn to combine them with the other skills she's learned.

Arthur's story was also something I already had a plan for and knew where Arthur was going. In fact, I knew right from the get-go that after getting a promotion, finding the thrill in enjoying his job and not being so serious about it, Arthur would owe Katie everything. To me, Arthur isn't just Katie's Supervising Officer, he's sort-of like the older brother she never had and he sees her as a younger sister who he's promised to keep safe from no matter what. When introducing Katie's Mom, I realized she and Arthur would have different perspectives on Katie's current state. On Arthur's side, Katie is perfect the way she is and he feels Zelda is just some insane woman who wants Katie back for selfish reasons and doesn't deserve her since Zelda left Katie all alone and is only now coming back to her. In Zelda's eyes, Arthur is someone who took Katie without permission and did everything that Zelda could never do while she lost a husband and had to sacrifice raising Katie to avoid being detected, while Arthur arrested her and then groomed her to his idea of "perfection." However, I made sure Arthur would not be as jaded as he was previously as we can see when he forgives Katie's mom after she tells him Katie's true inhuman origins. He's more forgiving now and even admits that he always knew that despite everything he taught Katie, there was one thing he couldn't give her; her true mother. As for Arthur being the one to lose his hand, I decided to do that because I wanted Katie to come to another realization at what abandoning her team almost cost her in the end, and this felt like the best way to do it. It mirrors Coulson's near-death experience in _The Avengers_ and as Coulson points out, he won't let someone as willing to take a bullet as Arthur die so easily ever again. Next season will see Arthur a bit more relaxed taking some time off himself, but ever as crafty and cunning as before. There will also be some emotional parts so prepare to have your tissues ready because those tears are going to flow hard by the mid-season point.

After figuring out where the real main players would go from there, it was all about finding new characters and giving the ones we knew motivation. Tyler's would be motivation from the extended hatred caused by the continued loss of his loved ones. This is coupled with the fact that because without Arthur, not only would his mother be alive, but so would Maya with a very healthy child. Tyler was going to be a godfather, or as close to a father as he could be. But once again, Arthur took something precious from him and now Tyler and Ward have a common goal; destroy S.H.I.E.L.D. to avenge the deaths of those its leaders took away from them. This will be a major turning point in the Spec-Ops Team 3, as we'll see the hatred come to a boiling point, and Arthur and Tyler will have words (and fists).

Bruce and Sabrina were also another point where their love for each other grew immensely. I wasn't going to have them as a couple in the first story, but everyone asked me if there would be a romance and the story wrote itself from there. Because of this, you can bet your ass that Bruce will be just as hell-bent (if not more) than Fitz was in trying to reclaim Sabrina from Maveth, and Sabrina might be coming back to Earth with a worse 'welcome home' than what Simmons had in cannon. I won't say anything yet, but some things might end up similar yet also very different to how we saw them on S.H.I.E.L.D. While we're on the subject of Bruce and Sabrina, I might as well give my reasons for the question I'm sure we've all asked; why did I have Sabrina get sucked up into Maveth instead of Simmons? Well, that's because the ending changed a couple of times even before I lost some of my data. Originally, I was going to have Katie fall in love and leave the team only to have her own boyfriend gunned down by some of Ward's guys as help for what Arthur's team did to Maya. However that felt too cruel and when my laptop data got screwed up, I decided to end it similarly to how I ended the Spec-Ops Team 1. Originally, I had it written so that both Sabrina and Simmons were sucked up into Maveth, but then I stopped and thought. As much as I like Simmons, I still felt like the scene with her and Will was too much for me. It was then I began thinking "what if Simmons HADN'T been sucked up? Would she and Fitz still be together? Would someone else have taken her place? Would that have made Simmons grow more apart from Fitz and cause her to become more hell-bent than he was in saving that person?" It suddenly dawned to me it would become more natural to have Sabrina be the one to make the trip rather than Simmons. Remember; the last time we saw them share a proper scene together after Katie got her powers, Simmons was explaining her concern that Katie's powers might actually be potentially high enough to match the solar levels of the sun, in response, Sabrina accused Simmons of playing 'what if' rather than trying to look at every fact and hit her with the worse insult: implying that if Fitz had those powers, Simmons might be willing to pull the plug on him as well (which I know she wouldn't personally, but it is still something to question.) As such, this is just after they've seemingly begun to patch things up, but just as Simmons is about to open that door, that's when Sabrina proves that much like Arthur, she too is ready to forgive. Without even being told, she pushes Simmons out of the way and is sucked up by the monolith instead after being in the spot where Simmons was. Fun fact also, the part where Sabrina is trying desperately to hold onto the door and pull herself back off is something I'd imagine being an homage to _Army of Darkness_ which I referenced in the last story a number of times. If you haven't watched it, go do so now.

Jessica was a bit trickier though. I had plans to do more with her, but due to my computer problems a lot of it got lost. Fortunately, this is where Desmond came in. Sometime after I had updated the submissions guideline for the Spec-Ops Team 2 Characters, scrawlx1012 submitted an idea for a new character who could act as another pilot as well as a therapist to try and help Tyler. Surprisingly, this ended up playing well in my favor for both a replacement for Jess, and having Jessica be the reason Desmond staying after Tyler was transferred. I also have plans for Desmond next season, but I'll keep that secret until then. The only one I didn't get to do a lot with was Faye, but I have some plans I'll be sharing very soon for the Spec-Ops Team 3, so keep your eyes peeled!

Speaking of new characters, like I mentioned before, a lot of my notes for the new characters got lost, but fortunately I managed to save as many as I could so I hope I did them justice. Perhaps my favorite were actually Patrick and Lis created by memorysdaughter. Not only were they two very interesting characters to write (I have plans for them in the Spec-Ops Team 3, that might actually surprise a few of you,) but I also learned more about real-life diseases thanks to her when she explained how Lis's transformation would be her crutch by comparing her condition to that of spinal muscular atrophy. For those who are not aware, the story explains it best as a genetic muscle wasting disease that leaves some kids dead by their second birthday even with the most advance and expensive medical equipment. Those who live past that however are sadly left without the ability to breath or swallow, and preventing those who have it from learning to stand or walk, leaving them in a very uncomfortable position. Hopefully I've helped raised awareness and perhaps this will inspire others to look into it and see what can be done to help as I have.

My own Inhuman submission, Max Jerry, was meant to be an example of a character who wasn't evil but just mislead or misinformed and sadly didn't know better. If you look at a number of Golden Age comics, even writers back then realized that not all people during World War II were evil and that there were just as many victims of the war as there were those who gave their lives for America. It's something that sadly has been misinterpreted in recent years and still goes on today, but Max was made as the reminder that not everybody was following her because they had to, but because they honestly believed it was for the greater good. Patrick and Lis are the representation that people don't always have to listen, while Max is the representation of those who do listen, but want to believe it's for a noble cause.

MagatsuIza's Michael Weis and Bailey B's Adira Lester were also fun characters to use for the reasons of mind-altering and hallucinations. I originally had plans for their mind powers to present a sort-of _Nightmare on Elm Street_ -inspired landscape for the mental world, but obviously that didn't go as planned. Still, I feel like I did them justice.

The Cloudy Lady's September Lindon was a character who unfortunately had to come in at the last second but fortunately I gave her a good reason to show up at the end becoming the first in Katie's new Inhuman Team that will work with Skye's team in future chapters of the next story.

FITZSIMMONSFAN's Kiera Smith was another character who unfortunately didn't get a lot of time here as I would've liked, but I promise to try and do more next time around. Ironically, she was only one of the two characters that were submitted for Gonzalez's team.

Speaking of which, that brings us to our favorite brothers; Jason and Thomas Steele created by Stormrunner74. He came a bit late to the OC game, but we talked and he gave me the idea of Jason that was so good I could not resist using him. Afterwards, we came up with the idea that his brother had secretly survived the fall of S.H.I.E.L.D. and was onboard the Illiad when the craft went down. As a result, we ended up creating a fight scene heavily inspired by the movie _Red 2_ , wherein a similar fight scene occurs to the one where Thomas takes down the HYDRA Agents. I was even surprised when I mentioned how my plans were for the two and how much our collaboration resulted in what seems like the perfect reason for Jason to stay onboard now. I think there was even a point where we discussed the idea of Jason dying and Thomas going on, but I think it worked out best that Jason survived and forgave his brother in the end, promising to honor him and his girlfriend by sticking with S.H.I.E.L.D. Next story Jason has a lot of changes including a bit of a new appearance that I can't say too much about. All I'll give is a hint to what I thought of when I read the character description; "I am the one who knocks."

Now for the HYDRA Baddies. I already knew this story would end with Tyler joining HYDRA, but what I did not expect was NN010 coming up with another great character to act as one of the many heads of HYDRA. Roger James Smith was an interesting villain to play with acting as the more sensible of the group to Dr. Whitehall. My own personal first OC to HYDRA, Maya, was designed as his way of getting them to lay off constantly asking for contributions instead of making his own plans. Hence the reason for his downfall, cause as Tyler points out it was really funny (for Tyler and Maya at least) to see Roger wake up and realize his goals were shattered and now he'd never achieve or even care about them anymore.

On the subject of Roger James Smith, that brings us to NN010's other creation of Nick Dylan Jones. NN010 had actually originally submitted Nick for the Spec-Ops Team 1, but when I mentioned I couldn't have a use for him here, we made him more of a character for the Spec-Ops Team 2. The idea of him being an inhuman was always NN010's idea, and when he explained that to me, I always knew he was going to be one of the ones who would help Katie transition.

And now for the main S.H.I.E.L.D. OC's. My two contributions of Abby and Tabatha had already appeared in the Spec-Ops Team 1, and when I knew Katie would become an Inhuman, I knew that she was going to accidently kill them. Their sacrifice is a reminder to Katie that as much as she loves her job, there are casualties in there and that includes people close to her as well.

Rose Anderson was another interesting choice because originally Chole999 wanted to make her start off with the Inhumans, but since she knew Donnie Gil, I felt it was best to have her with S.H.I.E.L.D. first and then have the Inhumans kidnap her and brainwash her. Don't worry though, we'll be getting more of Rose as well next story with some insight into her past.

Bamboozeled's Alice-Jane 'AJ' Worthing was another idea I decided to use since I knew there would be some darker elements, I threw her in as some comic relief and lightheartedness for the more darker parts of the story.

Then there was SayHiToNeverland's Franco Adessi. From the moment I ended Spec-Ops Team 1 with Arthur having inherited Coulson's position, I always knew that when the second story began, Arthur would have already secured a liaison for S.H.I.E.L.D. to answer to him or those he trusted much like how Coulson did with Deathlok in Season 2. SayHiToNeverland's submission was nothing short of a miracle with an interesting character and riveting backstory which I might use more of in the next story.

As for the chapters themselves, the comic con one came instantly to me as I was writing this and the San Diego convention was right around the corner. It allowed for so many pop culture references that I couldn't resist and I'm glad to see a lot of you liked it.

Perhaps the best chapter for me was writing my own _Avengers: Age of Ultron_ tie-in. I felt the tie-in we got on TV was 'okay,' but not perfect. I felt like there should've been more involvement like how the first season had the battle taking place simultaneously with the final act of _Winter Soldier_. Thus, I decided to add another chapter that would include the team helping to save as many people alongside the Avengers. This was also the perfect opportunity to showcase how any of us might react to working alongside the Avengers in real life.

Now for the revelation of Katie's true Inhuman origins. Believe it or not, I was originally going to leave Katie as an Inhuman by natural birth with no problems. But when I lost some of my data, and had to rewrite, I began thinking; what if one of the reasons Zelda was being so over protective was because there was a darker secret she had hidden from everyone? It was then that I came up with the chapter explaining Katie's true origins and the ultimate reason as to why Zelda helps the team to redeem herself and put things right for all the people she's hurt through her actions. And thankfully she not only redeems herself despite having to kill one last person to do so, but "saves" Cal from becoming a full monster. As much as I liked how Cal took care of Jiaying in cannon, I felt this moment was too emotional to pass up. Zelda points out how much she cares for him despite everything and proves it by not letting Cal have to suffer alone.

So now that you know all that, I can talk about my trip to Wizard World in Portland, Oregon. Unfortunately, the Cropping isn't going so well, so I'm going to fix that for the image itself, but some of the S.H.I.E.L.D. swag I got from my journey as the fanfic cover. This includes a S.H.I.E.L.D. #1 Sketch Cover by Simon Fraser (artist of Judge Dredd and the Doctor Who: Eleventh Doctor Comics) of Arthur and Katie (I let him choose their design since like with J.K. Rowling creating Hermonie, Arthur and Katie only had a very minimalistic description in which any actor could play them,) and you might be noticing me with Simmons. I originally wanted to bring my good tux for Arthur, but it wouldn't fit in my suitcase so I just chose to cosplay with a 'training workout' costume. As mentioned, those of you who gave 'thank you notes' to her I handed in along with this story. Her reaction? Well, I'll let the autographed picture that says 'keep on writing' say it all for you. And that's also her message to all of us; keep on writing. Because the world we live in; there's a lot of sick people out there who want to censor us, but we're not gonna let it happen. Cause as the song goes, "we're not gonna take it anymore." As for her reaction to the story, when I showed her what I changed from the finale, her mouth dropped just as Simmons did when I wrote this scene in my mind and as a result, she ended up asking me when I wrote this, my inspirations for this story, etc. etc. And bear in mind, this was at an autograph signing. I was admittedly one of the first few people in line, but still. So overall, she liked it and left me with a great feeling and a big smile on my face.

So now that I've talked at length about the Spec-Ops Team 2, let's talk about the anniversary story, The Spec-Ops Team: Other Lives. Before 2016, I realized that I had the potential to do a '1-Year Anniversary Story' similar to what comics do whenever they have an annual (which isn't often now sadly especially from Marvel who keep rebooting and relaunching everything). However, because I was already working on Spec-Ops Team 2 and planning with 3, I opted to do a story set between Parts 1 & 2, as a sort-of 1.5 story. When I was planning, I was also working on a roleplaying game dealing with alternate universes and a theory that for every person in our universe, there exists at least one parallel version who is the opposite gender. Instantly, my mind began processing an idea of a universe where Arthurine Williams was a bad*** female S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent who trained Carl Sheila, street-punk-turned-super-spy, and the idea was too good to resist. Another thing that helped was I had written a story before The Spec-Ops Team 1 in which Coulson tries stopping someone who has their hands on alien technology and rips a hole to our reality where Coulson is played by an actor named Clark Gregg. Simultaneously, the show has talked about parallel worlds before, so I felt it would be natural that HYDRA might try to open the gateway (if you'll pardon the pun) to explore limitless possibilities.

And so after informing my followers of my plan, I began writing down the other gender swapped characters and thankfully this was a blast and probably will turn out better than a certain franchise that is trying to genderswap, but is really just causing true die-hard fans who have enough sense left in them to shout something that begins with 'Be' and ends with 'Trayal!' I think one of my favorite moments was when Arthur met Tyria and interrogated her. I only wish now I would've shown Arthurine's reaction to meeting Tyler and having him hit on her unaware that she's Arthur from another dimension. I can picture her gagging in her mouth and swallowing her barf.

I actually didn't know how to end this story until I realized that since this was set between spec-ops Team 1 & 2, this would be the perfect opportunity to have a 'side-story' and reveal that in both universes, Katie's Mother (and in the gender swapped world, her father) were secretly watching Katie/Carl from the sidelines along with Cal/Catherine.

So, next up for the Spec-Ops Team 3? Well, as I mentioned at the end of the 'Other Lives' story, the team's inheriting the former SSR California Division Base now modified to include new things while still retaining some of the old devices. Sabrina's stuck on Maveth and while Will does show up, things might happen slightly different than they did in-cannon. How you may ask? Well, just wait and see. But aside from that, I can confirm that Lash is not going to be the only threat they face, nor will the resurrected Grant Ward. And I'm not saying Tyler's going to be the only bad guy as well. You'll just have to see like I said.

So there you have the 'Spec-Ops Team 2: BTS Feature.' Hope you enjoyed and I'll see you in a couple of months for Part 3!

Regards,

BrenRome


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